There is a starting debate about the influence of the corona virus, the lockdown of societies, worldwide, on religious practice. Now the churches, temples, mosques are closed too. People pray at home, watch church service through youtube video movies, but stay only as a family. Easter this year was without concerto of the great Bach Passion of Matthew, no greast services in churches. Ramadan takes now place withouth the festive Salat Tarawih in the mosque, without great invitation for iftar meals together. We are becoming more invidividuaistic, stay together as small families. Because teaching is now no longer in classrooms, but through inter channels, meetings as well, we think that social life, including religious habits may change for some time.
The Catholic priest Mangunwijaya was not in favour of great church building. Also for the place of pilgrimage Sendang Sono he did not build a cathedral-size big church, but a series of small buildings. For Romo Mangun the ideals size of a religious community is a family at home. Also Hasbi Ash-Shiddieqy was not in favour of great groops praying the Friday Salat together. It was in his view not obligatory and he often did not attend the public religious service at IAIN Sunan Kalijaga in Yogyakarta, but said the prayer at home.
Also for religious education the teaching staff at Kolsani, the Catechitecal training centre wanted to give priority to religious education as a duty for families. The school is not the best place for true religious education. Religion is not a discipline to be studied/learned in schools, but in the families. Romo Mangun always said that he wanted to follow Jewish practice where the religious meal of Sabbat took place in the family house, not in the synagoge. The synagoge if for study and teaching, not the proper place for prayer and meditation.
Will this also be the practice after the corona virus or Covid-19 looses its influence?
Not far from my house in Utrecht there is the Gerardus Majella Church, where the priests have now places a new icon, the image of the Saint Corona, a virgin and martyr about 180 in Alxandria, Egypt, or Antiochia (Syria). Daughter or wife of Saint Victor. She is since long a protector saint against epidemic in the Catholic tradition. Now you may come and pray and burn a candle. This is traditional Catholicism in the Netherlands, but the style of paying forthe candle is modernized you just can out you bank card, choose how much you want to pay and it is fixed!
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