Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1225641
3 DENVER CATHOLIC | MARCH 28-APRIL 10, 2020 Most Rev. Samuel J. Aquila DEACON LANCIOTTI'S COMMENTS On how we can overcome the virus "The challenge is we're facing a highly transmissible respiratory virus that's been introduced into a population that has essentially no immunity at all. That's what is the foundation of a pandemic. And so it's I think it's important to understand that what will ultimately end this pandemic is immunity in the population – people developing antibodies and other activa- tions in their immune system to combat this virus. Now, immunity is only achieved two ways. One is by getting infected natu- rally. And the other is by vaccination. And so that's really the goal, is for the popu- lation to develop immunity to this virus. I know there's a vaccine that's already in people in trials in Seattle, but that's what we need. We need immunity. What these measures are designed to do is slow down the number of infections so that everybody can be adequately treated in a hospital." On social distancing and fl attening the curve "One analogy to think of is if you took all of the crime that occurs in Denver in a year's period and condensed it into one night, what would happen? It would be a disaster, because a lot of people that would normally be treated and and taken to a hospital and cared for, a lot of those people would needlessly die because there just aren't enough personnel, ambulances, so forth and so on. And that's essentially what these measures are designed to do. We want to slow down this epidemic such that everybody who is infected, it can occur over a longer period of time so that everyone can be treated comprehen- sively. That's what we mean by fl attening the curve. In a typical epidemic where you do nothing, you get an incredibly logarithmic or rapid rise in cases. And it all happens fairly quickly in a matter of weeks or maybe a month. These mea- sures are designed to slow things down so everyone can be treated." On how we should respond "I would just remind everyone this is the time to take precautions to do the right thing, but not to panic. At the end of the day, we're talking about a virus that in the majority of cases will not cause severe outcomes. There are many people that are suffering from this, but it is a virus that is is going to have a minimal effect on the majority of the people. And so we have to be safe and we have to show love and charity to those around us by not trans- mitting it. There really is no cause for fear. We just have to wait this out, follow what we've been told and pray that that in addition to all that we can do to slow this down, that God will intervene as well and help us." CALL-IN COMMENTS Gratitude for Archbishop Aquila's leadership "Your Excellency, I'm just calling to thank you so much for your care and prayers for us and for your words of encouragement that is helping us to get through this diffi cult time. Thank you especially for caring and for protecting our priests. Know that there are many, many of us that are praying for you daily, for the most powerful intercession of Mary and St. Joseph, for your protection, strength and peace, and good health. Thank you, your excellency." are assaults against human life that are just as morally serious as abortion and euthanasia. But these issues are qualitatively and morally diff erent. Among the diff erences he highlights are the fact that an unborn child is innocent, that these acts involve the direct and intentional taking of life, and that killing the unborn, elderly and disabled corrupts the heart of the person who wills or participates in causing their death, in a way that destroying the environment does not. The seriousness of these weighty topics emphasizes the signifi cant challenges that we face. As St. John Paul II says, "when the sense of God is lost, there is also a tendency to lose the sense of man, of his dignity and his life; in turn, the systematic violation of the moral law, especially in the serious matter of respect for human life and its dignity, produces a kind of progressive darkening of the capac- ity to discern God's living and saving presence." (EV, 21). We have seen the progressive darkening grow especially in the last 10 years with physician-as- sisted suicide, the re-defi nition of marriage, and a few bishops, even more sadly, since they should know better, arguing against abortion being a preeminent issue in voting. We are called as believers in the Resurrection and as people redeemed by Jesus to enter this darkness with the light of the Gospel. In the reading from John's Gospel this past week- end, Jesus opened the eyes of the blind man, and many are spiritually blind today. Jesus desires to open their eyes if they put their faith in him. Jesus teaches us, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (Jn. 8:12). As we celebrate the 25th anniver- sary of Evangelium Vitae, the closing words of St. John Paul II ring out all the more loudly, "To all the mem- bers of the Church, the people of life and for life, I make this most urgent appeal, that together we may off er this world of ours new signs of hope, and work to ensure that justice and solidarity will increase and that a new culture of human life will be affi rmed, for the building of an authentic civili- zation of truth and love." It is good in this time of the coronavirus to remind ARCHBISHOP'S SCHEDULE APR. 9: Live-streamed, Mass of the Lord's Supper, 5:30 p.m. APR. 10: Live-streamed, Good Friday Liturgy, 3 p.m. APR. 11: Live-streamed, Easter Vigil, 8:15 p.m. APR. 12: Live-streamed, Easter Sunday Mass, 10:30 a.m. ourselves of this hope, and continue to build an "authentic civilization of truth and love." May our Lady of the New Evange- lization intercede for us during these trying times and help us be attentive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to see how we can uphold the dignity of each person from the moment of con- ception until natural death. We have to be safe and we have to show love and charity to those around us by not transmitting it. There really is no cause for fear. We just have to wait this out, follow what we've been told and pray that that in addition to all that we can do to slow this down, that God will intervene as well and help us." DEACON ROB LANCIOTTI photo by brandon ortega