The French Council of State ruled last Sunday that a proposed 30-person limit on Masses and other forms of public worship is a “disproportionate” government measure and must be modified by Wednesday.

The country’s Catholic bishops welcomed the court’s decision saying in a statement that “reason has been recognised.”

The bishops’ conference had submitted the urgent legal appeal with the administrative court two days prior, declaring that they had “a duty to ensure freedom of worship in our country.”

With its ruling, France’s highest administrative court gave Prime Minister Jean Castex three days to propose an alternative protocol to prevent the spread of the coronavirus at places of worship.

The Prime Minister met with a delegation of French bishops Sunday night to discuss a new gauge for the resumption of public Masses after France’s strict second lockdown.

The bishops had originally proposed a protocol of reopening public liturgies at a third of each church’s capacity, with increased social distancing.