Religious worship matter because it lies at the essence of many people’s lives.
That’s according to human rights lawyer and former NI police ombudsman, Baroness Nuala O’Loan.
She was speaking as debate continued about when churches might reopen for public worship.
She told the Irish Catholic newspaper that the ability to come together to pray, to go to Mass, to receive sacraments is as important as the ability to go to the supermarket or many other things under discussion right now.
“We’ve always been able to go to the supermarket because it’s always been recognised that we need to buy food, the Mass and the Sacraments for us is food for the soul,” she said.
In a secular society, she added, there’s a “lack of recognition” of the spiritual “as manifest in worship such as that in the Catholic Church”.
“I think for that reason those who are believers need to speak up and say it wasn’t for nothing that there’s a recognised right to freedom of religion but it’s important that we keep the issue of spirituality and the right to practice your religion right at the forefront and that it’s not something that doesn’t matter, it’s not something that is engaged in by self-serving people, rather it’s the essence of the lives of so many people in Ireland.”
After California relaxed public health restrictions on churches on Monday, the nation’s largest diocese announced its plan on Tuesday to resume public Masses.
In a two-step plan for parishes to reopen and offer the sacraments, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles on Tuesday provided a checklist for each parish to observe. The state’s dioceses and archdioceses have all curtailed public Masses since March, but starting June 3 the archdiocese will allow for public Masses.
While Governor Gavin Newsom’s four-step reopening plan for the state had initially placed churches in stage 3 of reopening, that of “higher-risk workplaces,” on Monday the state announced that churches could begin reopening subject to county restrictions. The state is currently in stage 2 of Newsom’s reopening plan, where manufacturing and some retail businesses have been allowed to reopen.
Now, California has allowed churches to open at 25% capacity with a maximum of 100 people.
The state’s Catholic Conference called the new state guidelines “positive, constructive and fundamentally in alignment” with the diocesan reopening plans, and expressed gratitude for being “a part of the consultation.”
This year’s Annual Reek-Sunday, pilgrim-walk has been cancelled.
The climb of Croagh Patrick near Westport, Mayo, was due to take place on July 26th, one week after the Government will allow the public celebration of mass in churches.
The decision was taken to help the national effort to suppress the coronavirus.
“Having consulted with the various statutory and non-statutory bodies involved in the Reek pilgrimage, having in mind the Government’s “Roadmap” for emerging from the coronavirus pandemic, and accepting the clear public health advice offered, it is necessary to cancel the 2020 National Pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick on 26 July”, a statement said.
Archbishop of Tuam, Michael Neary, said he hopes the event will return in July 2021.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore said it has “serious concerns” about public health guidance from Howard County, Maryland, which prohibits the reception of Communion as a condition for churches to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic.
“For the Catholic community, the reception of Communion is central to our faith lives and to our public worship,” said a statement from the archdiocese on Wednesday.
Howard County’s Executive Order #2020-09, published on May 26, outlines the conditions and regulations that must be met for non-essential businesses–which in Maryland includes churches and other houses of worship–to resume operations.
The order provides that “there shall be no consumption of food or beverage of any kind before, during, or after religious services, including food or beverage that would typically be consumed as part of a religious service.”
Since the consumption of the consecrated species at Mass, at least by the celebrant, is an integral part of the Eucharistic rite, the order effectively bans the licit celebration of Mass in the county.
Labour Alan Kelly has pleaded with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to increase the number of people allowed to attend funerals from 10 to 30.
“We have to do something,” Mr Kelly said because people were suffering.
Mr Kelly said the rules were too rigid and should be relaxed to allow more people attend because many families were larger than the numbers allowed to attend.
He pointed out that everybody knew the social distancing rules and these could still be observed while allowing more to attend ceremonies.
Mr Varadkar said the Government had begun discussions with church leaders about changing the rules for the number of people attending funerals.
He acknowledged that it was a really difficult issue for people and said he had spoken to people who had to make the decision about who could attend and excluding the 11th and more people.
The size of a church building would have an impact on who could attend, he said and that a greater number of mourners could be accommodated in larger places or worship.
The churches had also asked about allowing baptisms and small weddings and these were part of the discussions, he added.
The parishioners of one Dublin church have been quietly attending daily mass, contrary to lockdown guidelines, as the church has not locked its doors to the public while mass is being celebrated.
The Church of the Guardian Angels in Blackrock, Co Dublin, is one of many churches in Dublin that have open for private prayer in accord with both Government and Dublin diocesan guidelines.
However, extra.ie reported that people have been showing up at 10am, as the priests of the parish celebrate mass, and have remained to pray and take communion. They reported that 39 people were present during mass on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the church said that there is usually only 10 people in attendance and it was the first day so many people had been in the church.
Former PP, Fr Tony Gaughan said the church being open helps people during these times and said that the church is sticking to government guidelines on social distancing.
“People are anxious to get back to normal. I see no problem once people are spaced out when you have a huge area rather than a small little church”.
“Funerals are very sad at the moment. Once the people are spaced out I don’t have any problem with them being there”.
“The Blessed Sacrament is exposed every morning from after the 10 o’clock mass and they’re coming in in ones and twos throughout the day. It’s nice for them. The parish priest has the whole place washed each evening.”
Minority faith groups have joined calls for places of worship to be allowed reopen for public services sooner than the Government’s July 20th timetable, a date that would make the country one of the last in Europe to do so.
Aontú leader Deputy Peadar Tóibín met with members of minority faiths yesterday morning. He said many immigrants who come to this country take great solace in joining their local church, mosque or synagogue where they find community and friendship.
Deputy Tóibín said if the Taoiseach can gather with friends in the Phoneix Park, there is no logic in deferring the phased re-opening of places of worship until July. “The Churches that I have spoken to have outlined their ideas and draft plans to me which will allow them socially distance for the duration of their services. This includes religious ceremonies in car parks or even in cars if raining with the service transmitted over radio”.
“We think it is very important that our immigrant community are protected at this time and allowed to gather in a physically distant manner to prevent them from succumbing to isolation, homesickness and loneliness”.
He also called for an easing of the rules around funerals in large graveyards.
“Supporting friends and families as they bring their loved ones on their final journey is an essential part of life throughout Ireland”.
“We are calling again on the government to facilitate funerals and religious practice to take place in a socially distant manner. I am calling on An Taoiseach to listen to the concerns of faith groups and hear them out in the detailed ideas and plans they have drafted for how they could reopen their places of worship while still adhering to public health measures”, concluded the deputy.
Churches in California can begin holding services again at a limited capacity, the state announced on Monday.
In a u-turn from a previous plan, the California health department ruled that churches in the state can begin reopening along with in-store retail shopping.
Under the new 21-day policy, houses of worship can hold religious services at up to 25% capacity with a maximum of 100 attendees.
Churches have to implement virus prevention plans, recommend face coverings, set social distancing guidance, and “consider eliminating singing and group recitations.” Any singing or recitations “should be conducted outside,” the department said.
The Thomas More Society had filed a lawsuit against the state on behalf of a Pentecostal church in San Diego, saying that the state had violated First Amendment freedoms by forcing churches to remain closed while allowing some businesses to reopen during the pandemic. The church had asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in its case.
Federal guidance for the resumption of in-person religious services was published on Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), after President Trump called on state governors to allow churches to reopen “right now.”
Ireland’s Catholic bishops are speeding up preparations to re-open churches for public Masses in case this is allowed to happen sooner than the July 20th date set in the current Government roadmap.
Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin said on Monday that the Government would be constantly evaluating progress in reopening society and “it is important that we as Church are ready to respond to any change in the current proposed timescale”.
He said all over Ireland, parishes have been working on plans to open their Churches as soon as it is safe to do so.
“The Irish Bishops pooled suggestions from each diocese and drew up a first Draft Framework document. The Standing Committee of the Conference examined this Framework today and has now moved towards producing a shorter and sharper document, with checklists to enable parishes to monitor where they are on the path forward. That should be available in the next days,” he added.
The Archbishop of Armagh, Eamon Martin also released a statement asking that all “work closely with your priests so that your parish stands ready to respond quickly when the public health authorities tell us it is safe to begin gathering together again for Mass inside our churches”.
A mother is seeking High Court orders which would effectively result in the death of her daughter, 28, who has been in a vegetative state for almost 10 years.
High Court president Mr Justice Peter Kelly said on Tuesday, if the mother proceeded, that it raised “fundamental” medical, legal and ethical issues in wardship proceedings concerning the daughter.
The mother, and the daughter’s stepfather, had told the HSE they believed the treatment being provided to her daughter at a specialist unit should end.
Because the treatment includes nutrition and hydration, provided by peg tube, that would bring about the early death of the daughter, the judge said.
The mother and stepfather sought to be appointed as the committee to represent the woman’s interests in the wardship proceedings. The Judge said this would create a “very unusual” situation because the committee’s role is to seek what is in the best interests of the ward, whereas they would be seeking to bring about her early death. He opted instead to appoint Patricia Hickey, general solicitor for wards of court.
The judge said the mother may proceed with an application to end her daughter’s current treatment but added that it was not clear the stepfather has any rights in relation to such an application.
