A group of Belgian Catholics is demanding the resumption of public worship in their country.

They expressed their views in a petition sent to the Belgian Bishops’ Conference and the Vatican ambassador on Thursday.

In it, the so-called ‘Committee of Concerned Catholics’ asks that the Church returns to the situation before the current Belgian lockdown, when a limited number of people was still allowed to attend Mass, subject to health and safety measures. They refer to the situation in the Netherlands and France where public liturgies are still permitted. Within days, the online petition was signed by 500 people, according to the committee.

Belgian bishops’ spokesman Geert De Kerpel said the decision to suspend all public worship until at least December 13 was taken by the Belgian government.