Churches across the world are reopening or laying plans to do so, even as many Governments treat public worship as something of an afterthought.
Church-state tensions arose in Italy and Germany after both countries failed to include public worship in their initial easing of lockdown restrictions. After protests, the Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the Government were looking for ways of lifting the ban on Masses with “conditions of maximum security”. After similar protests by German Bishops and a ruling by the Constitutional Court, Germany allowed individual states to reopen churches for mass from May 3rd. Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced plans for public Masses to begin again on May 15, whilst Spain later announced that a partial reopening of churches would begin on May 11.
In the UK, meanwhile, churches were completely closed in March, after a representative of the bishops pointed out a discrepancy between the government’s social distancing measures and its policy of allowing churches to “open for solitary prayer”.
In the US, a number of states have begun to relax social distancing measures, including restrictions on churches. Montana saw Masses restart on Sunday April 26.
Churches have largely remained closed in South America. Even in Brazil, where the federal Government overruled local Government bans on church services, the Catholic bishops have been supportive of stringent public health measures.
In Africa, most countries have closed churches during the pandemic, but there remain exceptions to the continent-wide lockdown.
Elsewhere, Masses have resumed in a number of Vietnamese dioceses after the government there lifted some social distancing measures.
In Australia, Archbishop Anthony Fisher of New South Wales similarly pleaded for the government to consider a prompt “soft opening” of churches for confession and private prayer, after churches in Australia and nearby New Zealand remain closed despite the authorities in both countries having begun to ease national lockdowns.
