• La Civiltà Cattolica
  • Newsletters
  • Podcast
  • Contact us
  • Login
  • Register
SUBSCRIBE
LA CIVILTÀ CATTOLICA
Advertisement
  • Home
  • Church Life
    • Faith
    • Mission
    • People
    • Pope Francis
    • Spirituality
  • Church Thought
    • Doctrine
    • Scripture
    • Theology
  • Culture
  • Politics
  • Editions
  • Authors
  • Donate

No products in the cart.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Church Life
    • Faith
    • Mission
    • People
    • Pope Francis
    • Spirituality
  • Church Thought
    • Doctrine
    • Scripture
    • Theology
  • Culture
  • Politics
  • Editions
  • Authors
  • Donate

No products in the cart.

No Result
View All Result
LA CIVILTÀ CATTOLICA
No Result
View All Result
     
Home 2006

Is the Virus a Punishment from God?

David Neuhaus, SJbyDavid Neuhaus, SJ
June 3, 2020
in 2006, Church Thought, Edition, Full Text Article, PANDEMIC AND FREEDOM OF RELIGION, Scripture, Subscriber Only Articles, Theology
0
Virus | intensive care unit treating a coronavirus patient
0
SHARES
36
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

“’When evening had come’ (Mk 4:35). The Gospel passage we have just heard begins like this. For weeks now it has been evening. Thick darkness has gathered over our squares, our streets and our cities; it has taken over our lives, filling everything with a deafening silence and a distressing void, that stops everything as it passes by; we feel it in the air, we notice in people’s gestures, their glances give them away. We find ourselves afraid and lost. Like the disciples in the Gospel we were caught off guard by an unexpected, turbulent storm.”[1] The empty square and Basilica of Saint Peter provided the backdrop for Pope Francis’ rousing homily, a prophetic gesture to edify, encourage and console a world in shock at the spread of a virus claiming hundreds of thousands of lives.

Prophets of doom who manipulate the Bible

For a lover of the Bible it can be shocking to discover how some are reveling in Biblical verses that seem to speak to a crisis like the COVID-19 crisis. These verses are regularly ripped out of context and violently plastered onto the reality at hand. Prophets of doom proclaim the COVID-19 pandemic is God’s wrathful punishment on a sinful world. They cite verses against whatever in the world irritates their own sensitivities and they use the Scriptures to pummel a wounded and bleeding humanity. One can almost feel a shivering sense of glee as they quote the verses that describe plagues and catastrophes, hurled by a livid God on a world that is begging for punishment.

Alongside the drama of prophets seemingly provoked to call down divine anger, stand the “I-told-you-so” moralists, who also sift their Bibles for texts that they think allow them to preach with authority to a world that must at least now be convinced that their own sense of what is right is indeed the recipe for a better tomorrow. Both prophets of doom and I-told-you-so moralists seem to be shockingly reassured that the COVID-19 crisis fits a Biblical model of divine punishment or reproach.

This article is reserved for paid subscribers. Please subscribe to continue reading this article
Subscribe

Welcome to
La Civiltà Cattolica !
This article is reserved for paid subscribers
Please login or subscribe to continue reading this article
LOGIN
SUBSCRIBE
What is La Civiltà Cattolica?

Previous Post

Revisiting the Common Good in the Digital Age

Next Post

Discerning Faith in a Post-Christian Culture

David Neuhaus, SJ

David Neuhaus, SJ

Professor at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Jerusalem

Related Posts

Jeremiah lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem. Rembrandt, 1630
Bible Studies

‘The Book of Revolutions’: The battles of priests, prophets and kings that birthed the Torah

byDavid Neuhaus, SJ
January 25, 2023
Religious Nationalism and Pope Francis’ ‘Culture of Encounter’
Church Life

Religious Nationalism and Pope Francis’ ‘Culture of Encounter’

byDavid Hollenbach, SJ
January 23, 2023
A moment of the work of the Second Vatican Council (photo: Lothar Wolleh)
Canon Law

The Principles of Discernment of the Second Vatican Council

byGerald O'Collins, SJ
January 18, 2023
Kurt Vonnegut: ‘So it goes’
2301

Kurt Vonnegut: ‘So it goes’

byDiego Mattei, SJ
January 13, 2023
Ecumenism and the Christian Desire for Unity
2301

Ecumenism and the Christian Desire for Unity

byGiancarlo Pani SJ
January 12, 2023
Next Post
Discerning Faith in a Post-Christian Culture

Discerning Faith in a Post-Christian Culture

Premium Content

Streaming a Catholic Mass

Digital Celebrations

May 27, 2020
The Art of Communication According to Saint Gregory the Great

The Art of Communication According to Saint Gregory the Great

February 23, 2022
What is Happening in Chile?

What is Happening in Chile?

April 7, 2022

Browse by Category

Subscription Offers

BEATUS POPULUS CUIUS DOMINUS DEUS EIUS

The most respected digital Catholic journal from Rome. A must-read on all the present issues alive in the Church. Discover top Church scholars interpreting the history, politics, culture, science and art in the light of the Christian faith.

Categories

  Editions
  Church Thought
  Authors
  Church 
 
  Culture
  Perspective Series
  Politics & Socitey

 

About Us

   Contact Us
   La Civiltà Cattolica  
   China Forum
   Feedback
   Terms & Conditions
   Privacy Policy
    Email : [email protected]
My IP Address : 3.235.195.196
Facebook Twitter Instagram

© Union of Catholic Asian News 2022 | All Rights Reserved.
Except for any fair dealing permitted under the Hong Kong Copyright Ordinance, no part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without prior permission.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Church Life
    • Faith
    • Mission
    • People
    • Pope Francis
    • Spirituality
  • Church Thought
    • Doctrine
    • Scripture
    • Theology
  • Culture
  • Politics
  • Editions
  • Authors
  • Donate
SUBSCRIBE

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?
Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
  • Login
  • Sign Up
Forgot Password?
Lost your password? Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.

laciviltacattolica.com uses cookies and similar technologies to optimize the user experience,  analyze site traffic and communicate with subscribers. To read more about how we use cookies and how you can control them click on settings, or click Accept to start browsing our site.

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?
LA CIVILTÀ CATTOLICA
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.