How about a little Christmas spirit?

I can only hope the good Roman Catholic Cardinal of Washington isn't responsible for the headline on his oped about why he is suing to further open churches in the capital that have been restricted during of pandemic. However the headline finds an echo in the text, so I'm afraid we can take it as his. 

He's whining. 

We recently brought legal action to protect the free exercise of religion in the nation’s capital. This was a last resort, as we could no longer bear the burden of turning away the faithful from Mass due to D.C.’s 50-person cap on religious services when big-box stores, retailers, and even liquor stores and many other venues continued to operate without similar limits. The right of the faithful to assemble for religious services is one of our most cherished constitutional legacies, and we maintain it should be treated as an “essential” activity — just as D.C. regards shopping and so many other activities as essential.

He goes on to report that the congregations he leads have conformed to social distancing practices, required masks, and limited their attendance, in accordance with the D.C. pandemic rules (since rescinded). But somehow, those measures seem to him an illegitimate infringement on his liberty.

Where is the generosity or confidence in the goodness of creation in this? In a time of collective need, a time when satisfying individual wants risks the health of the community, isn't it the proper role of religious institutions to be even more conscientious about the common good than secular institutions? 

We don't expect BevMo or Safeway to sacrifice for our health (or even the health of their workers). But can't we expect better of religious bodies, especially when some accommodations have been made? Not very graceful.