Photo by Tim Mossholder from Pexels
By Patrick Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
You can discard the tape and cords blocking every other pew and fill your churches again. At least on every island except Hawaii island. The pandemic’s requirement of keeping six feet away from everyone indoors was removed Dec. 1 when Gov. David Ige gave each Hawaii county the power to write their own safety protocols. The Big Island is keeping the six-foot rule for now.
But the governor has retained his prerogative on masks. They stay. Where two or more are gathered.
The four-member Diocesan Covid-19 Task Force issued the updated church rules Dec. 2 in a memorandum to pastors, deacons, ministry leaders and parish office staff.
The release of the memo coincided with the emergence of the omicron variant of the coronavirus the potential impact of which is still largely unknown.
The updated COVID-19 protocols addressed four areas of church activity affected by the virus: Masses and other forms of public worship, ministries, meetings and social gatherings.
Above all, the memo urges respect and care for hesitant parishioners when parishes implement the new rules.
“In the spirit of synodality, we urge parish leaders to listen to the needs of their parishioners and find creative ways to accompany those who remain hesitant about gathering in-person for parish ministry programs,” the memo says.
(Synodality, the spirit of listening and openness, is the theme of the 2023 Synod of Bishops, which has just started to collect input at the diocesan grassroots level.)
Except for the relaxation in personal spacing, many of the current protocols remain in place. For example, classroom-oriented activities such as religious education/faith formation should continue to follow current Department of Health recommendations.
Ministry to the sick and homebound is permitted while taking “as many precautions as possible” including ministers being fully vaccinated.
Outreach and food pantries may operate under current protocols.
Retreats, especially overnight ones, have many inherent risks that come with group activities, meals, sleeping arraignments, socializing and group transportation, and should be managed accordingly.
When it comes to meetings, the counties have different rules. Oahu has no indoor or outdoor maximum of people attending. Kauai has an indoor maximum of 40 and an outdoor maximum of 100. Maui’s indoor maximum is 10 but has no outdoor maximum. Hawaii island has an indoor maximum of 25 and an outdoor maximum of 40.
Most circumstances to not do permit potlucks, open food tables and group indoor dining. Pre-packaged, take out or individual meals are suggested.
The elimination of social distancing in three counties is the latest major easing of pandemic rules since Bishop Larry Silva stopped public liturgies last year on March 17. In-person Masses resumed the weekend of May 30-31, 2020, with strict regulations that included mandatory face masks, social distancing, the sanitizing of pews and other precautionary measures.
During this time, the bishop dispensed Hawaii Catholics of the obligation to attend Sunday Mass, while encouraging those who could go safely to do so. He ended the dispensation on April 3, 2021, the vigil of Easter.
While Catholics could still attend Mass, fear of the virus kept many away. The shrinkage of worship space caused by social distancing led many parishes to require Mass reservations or tickets.
According to the 2020 October count, the annual tally of Massgoers in Hawaii, COVID-19 restrictions caused Mass attendance in Hawaii to drop 27,146, from 46,141 in 2019 to 18,995 in 2020, a difference of nearly 60%.
The 2021 October count numbers have not yet been released.
