[ WP ] Why have the local churches , mosques and synagogues all suddenly closed their doors ? Why are they refusing to explain ?

Father Ricardo surveyed the room, silently checking off names and faces in his head. When he was certain everyone was accounted for, he stood and addressed the room. 
 
 `` Gentlemen,'' he began. A swarm of faces turned toward him, giving him their attention. 
 
 `` Thank you all for coming.'' Ricardo's demeanor was calm and commanding, despite being the center of attention in a room full of every priest, rabbi, and imam in the city. But then, he had met them all before. 
 
 `` I can not overemphasize the importance of the matter we are about to discuss.'' 
 
 `` Or it's secrecy,'' piped up one of the imams. A murmur of agreement cascaded through the room. 
 
 `` Let me assure you, we have complete privacy here.'' Ricardo raised his hands in a calming gesture. `` Rabbi Stein?'' 
 
 On this cue, an aging man in a yarmulke stood up from his seat toward the back of the room. The swarm of faces turned to face him, bodies uncomfortably twisting in cheap metal folding chairs. 
 
 `` This basement was originally constructed as a fallout shelter,'' said the rabbi in a hoarse voice. `` It was designed to withstand a nuclear blast. Every entrance is outfitted with three sets of locks.'' 
 
 `` There you have it, gentlemen,'' said Father Ricardo. The swarm turned back around as the rabbi sat. `` We are safely away from any prying eyes.'' 
 
 `` Still, you understand our concern,'' said a young priest in the front row. 
 
 `` Of course,'' Father Ricardo said reassuringly. `` Every member of the press is hounding us all. At precisely ten o'clock this morning, every single one of you closed and locked the doors to your churches, your temples, your mosques, your synagogues, all with no comment whatsoever. We, of course, all know why, but no one else does.'' 
 
 As he spoke, two members of the audience wheeled in an overhead projector, while another lowered a projection screen. 
 
 `` Naturally,'' Father Ricardo continued, as if ignoring the activity around him, `` this has caused quite a stir. By ten fifteen, the story was on local news channels. By eleven o'clock, there were marches in the streets. And now, there are full-on riots all across the city. The public is confused and frightened, the newsrooms are chaotically busy, and the police are trying to deal with more than they can handle.'' 
 
 The priest who had lowered the projection screen flipped off the lights, and one of the rabbis flipped on the projection screen. A set of blueprints for the bank across the street shone through the darkness onto the white canvas. 
 
 `` Now,'' said Father Ricardo, `` *that* was the easy part.''
