These are painful, if inspiring, stories. The problem with the current situation is it's entirely manufactured and has no basis of comparison. We are being deprived of the Mass and the Eucharist not out of martyrdom but sheer cowardice of the Church's leaders. The secular government has chosen to do something stupid and the Church has caved in to it.

It's an ominous sign-post. One day the governments of the world will very likely say something like this: "to counter identity theft, everyone is required to get this special hypoallergenic security-scan RFID mark in order to buy or sell goods" (Rev.. 13-17) How will the Church answer the government, in light of this crisis? "We have to comply with lawful orders issued by the government. Everybody has to get the mark."