‘How a Florida Catholic Viewed the Covid - 19 Pandemic in Paris’

In mid-November 2019 I had the inspiration for my wife and I to visit Paris at ages 76 and 68 after a near 50-year hiatus.   We had heard of the decline of Christianity and Catholicism in France.  So, I only intended to speak with dead French philosophers and artists over some glasses of Bordeaux wine and cheese at cafes along La Seine and tell them the error of their ways.  

As January approached, news of the corona virus was increasingly presented on TV and in the Palm Beach Post, yet we proceeded – no refunds.  We were on top of it and brought along our own masks, gloves and sanitizers, reviewed our college French and saw some popular French movies.  Two of our daughters [in their 30s] met us there arriving a day later and leaving a day before.  Initially, two things stood out to us – many Chinese tourists all wearing masks, and all the TV stations incessantly talking about Covid-19.  More talk discussion shows than anything.  So democratic, so sophisticated these French are; they will discuss about issues from every angle, yet not do a thing about it.  Two had died that week of Feb. 27 – March 7.  One a Chinese tourist and the other a Frenchman who had just returned from China.  China and Italy were quarantining.  A comment finally emerged, maybe we should quarantine too.   

The European community, especially France was separating from its Christian roots, and now the politics and its secular ideologies was steadily moving them farther left.  Holding on to many Christian cultural values of family, gentility, respect – a bonjour and merci always, there still is a persistent attack upon Christianity and specifically Catholicism in France.  It’s a political thing.  My further mission became to visit La Rue des Martyrs [street of martyrs], home of St. Ignatius and the Jesuits at the foot of Sacre Coeur [Sacred Heart Cathedral].  From there I would discuss with the French how they needed to return to the church and Christianity considering emerging events in history.  To my surprise, when we attended mass at St. Germain de Pres and St. Sulpice, we saw the churches filled to capacity, standing room only.  We came to realize later that there has been a resurgence of Catholicism in the past 10 years.  They were getting the message without me.  Jean Paul Sartre must be turning in his grave.

Toward the end of the week, my wife was revealing a certain level of exhaustion.  The hotel room no longer had heat so necessary for this very cold and rainy week. Plus, our activities on the metro, dining and visiting spots around town was taking its toll on her.  No fever, no chills, none of the accepted symptoms of Covid-19, yet wearing her down.  I was OK.  To our dismay, the TV  reported yet another Covid death in Paris.  He was an engineer on the metro/subway line we took every day.  Lots of Chinese tourists on the metro.  My wife freaked ! We returned to So. FL on March 7, and happily my wife did not exhibit any of her ailments on the return flight.  But we made sure to self-isolate for two or three weeks just in case.  She overcame her rundown condition, and I never acquired any of her symptoms; well except for my own little depression when the NBA canceled the remainder of its games on March 11 – Mon Dieu !  The doctors at our primary care believed things were fine with us and we began to venture out.   

Upon our return, I had time to reflect on our trip, and on events transpiring in the U. S. and the world as most have.  I’ll make it brief.  The French were very accepting of us, an interracial family.  It wasn’t always that way for us in So FL since 1975.  My generation was particularly cruel.  We’re Catholic.  I know that God speaks to people and speaks to people as nations; he always has.  It’s how things are organized on this planet. France is looking at itself more as a nation and national community and a people rather than that borderless European community many, but not all aspired to.  The U. S. is not so different.  Further, France is not that far from its Christian roots as one and some propaganda machines might want to us believe.  It appears, I know it is for us, that many in America have spent this time of isolation in prayer.  We ask for God’s will in our lives, for direction and purpose, for mercy.  With things changing so much, combined with the realization of our increasing sense of powerlessness, it brings me back to St. Ignatius of Loyola on La Rue des Martyrs, 1534 – “Work like everything depends on you, and pray like everything depends on God.”