“The reopening of churches must be implemented by civil authorities in dialogue with ecclesial institutions”, states Fr. Barrios Prieto, General Secretary of COMECE. He was expressing a widespread feeling within the Catholic Church in many EU Member States.

COMECE, the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union, is made up of Bishops delegated by the Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of the 27 Member States of the European Union.

“Freedom of religion, including freedom of worship, is a fundamental right and a real necessity for many people – states Fr. Barrios Prieto. “The reopening of churches, in compliance with the rules of sanitary caution, must be implemented by civil authorities in a clear and non-arbitrary way, in full respect of and in dialogue with ecclesial institutions”, continues the COMECE General Secretary.

The ‘Joint European Roadmap towards lifting COVID-19 containment measures’ recently published by the EU Commission lacks any explicit mention of religious services. “This is disappointing – states Fr. Barrios Prieto – as it neglects the key role of religion in European societies”.

COMECE reiterates that religion is not a merely private issue, it also has a public and collective dimension, as clearly expressed in all main human right texts, including the EU Charter. The aggressive approach of certain secularist actors against the role of religion in the public square may have contributed to its marginalisation in the context of the current crisis.