Remember, Man, Thou Art Dust, Michael Hurley (January 1, 2026)

 

Remember, Man, Thou Art Dust

By Michael Hurley   January 1, 2026

The bishops closed the churches.

Let that sentence wash over you, slowly, and you may begin to grasp its enduring significance. Never before in human history, through centuries of war and famine and disease, has there been a worldwide closure of the Church that Christ founded to conquer death over—wait for it—the fear of death. 

First up in the litany of sins when I made my confession was my anger and despair over the Church’s response to the pandemic. The young priest who heard my confession (and who was clearly unpracticed in diocesan politics) responded with a frankness that took me aback: “I’m sorry we betrayed you,” he said. It was a confession within a confession, and a beautiful thing to hear, but it occurred to me that it needed to be spoken to the entire congregation.

I rather doubt that many prelates would appreciate a young priest telling his flock that their bishop “betrayed” them, as my confessor told me. Yet that kind of public confession in every parish by every priest and bishop, followed by a vow never again to bar the doors of the Church, is exactly what we need to renew our faith in this season of penance.