The Mass Is the First Necessity

When Pope St. John Paul II appeared on the balcony of St. Peter's after his election, his words to the crowd were, "Be not afraid." In the years following, Catholics in the United States and across the West joined their prayers with those of other Catholics suffering under the stifling rule of decrepit regimes. Today, the Catholics of France and the United Kingdom - and not only Catholics - face another lockdown as a long winter looms in Europe. This time, authorities are not imposing restrictions equally on churches and civil establishments. Instead, churches are arbitrarily subject to the harshest restrictions.