COVID-19: Catholic Bishops Lament UK Govt’s Plan To Keep Churches Closed Till July

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Wales and England have expressed disappointment at the government’s plan to keep churches in the United Kingdom (UK) closed till at least July 4, following the Coronavirus pandemic.

This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Catholic News Agency.

“The timing and the manner of the opening of churches touches profound sensitivities and spiritual needs; the government’s document and statements fail to recognize this,” a spokesman for the bishops’ conference said in a statement.

Recall that Boris Johnson-led government had insisted that places of worship, among others, would open “no earlier than 4 July”, if only the five tests for reopening the country were met satisfactorily; which included reduction in covid-19 deaths per day.

As of May 12, the country has recorded 32,789 deaths , according to data from John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

However, the bishops, in the statement, said that the church had come up with a plan on how to run services in compliance with government’s directive on social distancing.

“In dialogue with the Government, the Catholic Church will continue its engagement in this process and has already submitted a detailed plan, in full accordance with public health guidelines, for churches to be opened for private prayer,” it stated.

Meanwhile, the church stressed that it would do its part to ensure that covid-19 was defeated in the country.

The statement reads further:

“The government’s position, established today, includes these steps aimed at opening churches as soon as possible: the establishment of a task force for places of worship, to work closely with ‘stakeholders’ in ensuring that premises are COVID-19 secure; and heeding the experience of other countries in which churches are already open for worship.”

“The Church is ready to play its full part in the task force, understanding that this includes the possible earlier use of churches for private prayer, as a first safe step towards their use for public worship.”