The Taoiseach’s announcement of a possible easing of the blanket ban on public worship in May, subject to public health advice, means that the practice of the Christian religion remains effectively criminalised, according to the Pastor of Howth & Malahide Presbyterian Church.
Reaction elsewhere was more positive with the Catholic Archbishop of Armagh telling EWTN News in the US that the Taoiseach’s announcement came as “great news”.
The announcement followed numerous pleas from church leaders. In February, the Catholic Bishops had asked the Government to ease the ban on worship in time for Easter.
A week ago, Archbishop Martin told the Times Ireland he considered the latest change in covid law–a statutory instrument that confirmed public mass was a criminal offence—to be “formally enacting a potential infringement of religious freedom and of constitutional rights”, and he called for it to be suspended.
The following day, in a meeting with Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, he asked that the pastoral work of priests and other ministers be deemed “essential”.
Last week two different groupings of Evangelical churches asked for the prohibition to be ended.
The Taoiseach rebuffed these requests and instead re-iterated what he had already announced on March 30th—that an easing of restrictions would be considered in May.
In response, the Pastor of Howth & Malahide Presbyterian Church told Spirit Radio he didn’t know what comfort is meant to be derived from the Taoiseach’s announcement, “other than, I think a few more people are able to attend a funeral, from Monday. And they’re going to ‘consider’ reopening places of worship, because apparently they understand how important gathered worship is to people”.
Rev. Alastair Dunlop added: “But, the fact is this [past] Sunday in Dublin is week 44 of the church being effectively banned from practicing the Christian religion, and if we were to gather, safely, to do what we demonstrated over 14 weeks [last summer] that we can do safely, it would be a criminal offence, and that has not changed.”
