Bishop Duca Issues Mask Guidelines for Mass

Bishop Michael G. Duca on Wednesday afternoon issued masking guidelines for everyone attending “any indoor church events,” including Mass, whether on Sundays or weekdays.

His guidelines includes all parish gatherings held indoors in a church facility and all communal celebrations of the sacraments.

However, the bishop, while acknowledging the latest COVID-19 surge is making some people uncomfortable attending Mass, stopped short of issuing a “collective dispensation for the faithful for now.”

But he did note that clergy members “already possess the faculty to dispense the faithful of the obligation to attend Sunday Mass in individual cases.”

“We all understand the principles for reducing the spread of the virus, so please act to avoid mass spread of it,” the bishop said in his letter to the faithful of the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

“As circumstances change in the future, we will also change our practices based upon medical advice, common sense and wisdom,” he said. “We begin another month, tired and weary due to this pandemic, but we are fixed on a future filled with hope knowing that our courageous actions now will again yield much success in days to come.”

The bishop said he issued the guidelines to priests and deacons to assist in their ministry.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.