- The State Council on Monday ordered the government to lift the "general and absolute" ban on assembly in places of worship, put in place as part of the state of health emergency.
- This ban was considered "disproportionate".
- While this announcement delights many believers, it also raises many concerns.
Hitherto limited to social networks or television broadcasts, the celebration of cults may soon resume. This is the scenario that has emerged since the publication, Monday, May 18, of a decision rendered by the Council of State. Deemed “disproportionate” while gatherings of less than 10 people are tolerated “in other places open to the public” since the beginning of the deconfinement, the ban on meetings in places of worship must be lifted before May 26. In its future decree, the government could determine a maximum number of people authorized in churches, temples, mosques or synagogues in France, as well as preventive measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
While the majority of believers who have agreed to testify for 20 Minutes welcome this decision, many concerns remain. How will the celebrations be adapted? How to ensure proper compliance with sanitary measures and barrier gestures during an office in the light of major holidays for Christians and Muslims? Questions shared by certain representatives of religions, which call for caution.
Believers who rejoice
At 46, Zoulika impatiently awaited this decision: “This ban was, in my opinion, totally unacceptable when schools, nurseries and shopping centers were able to reopen. If we were still confined, to wait until the feasts of Pentecost or Eid to resume services, it would have been understandable. But in this context of deconfinement, it no longer makes sense, ”she believes.
Amine, 19, is already planning for the celebrations for the end of Ramadan, scheduled for this weekend. "I will be happy to be able to celebrate Eid-el-Fitr at the mosque, it is always a moment of pride and joy," he wrote. Others, like Margot, say they are completely confident about the health conditions of these future meetings: "I can't wait to go back to mass, we need to get together and I think that all the necessary precautions - unoccupied chairs, direction of traffic, cleaning of places - will be taken by the parishes ”.
And others who worry
But for many, the risks of contamination during offices and meetings are a source of anxiety. At 61, Martine, retired, says she is "worried": "I even sent an e-mail to our parish priest. During the liturgy of speech (the first part of the mass) he touches everything: microphones, music stands, his mask which he constantly manipulates ”. Songs like communion - the time during which the priest distributes the host to believers - are all stages and rituals which cause fear among Catholics.
And how can we ensure proper compliance with sanitary measures in places of worship, adds Martha, 48: “Will there be checks on the reception protocol? We Protestants do not have a mass where we are spectators but rather a succession of activities around the sharing of speech that will undeniably have to be modified. "She also dreads the consequences of too much" fervor "of the faithful:" I am afraid that some people consider themselves protected by their faith and forget or leave aside basic sanitary measures. "
The limitation of these meetings to a maximum number of people is, for Miriam, 45, a necessity to reassure believers: “My parish is usually packed. How are we going to maintain the distancing measures? I am a practicing Catholic but I do not think of going back to the offices immediately. I prefer to wait to see the evolution of the situation in two weeks, ”she concludes.
A precautionary principle that prevails
Like Miriam, several people have chosen to give up, for the moment, meetings in places of worship. And the alternatives developed thanks to digital technology during containment have clearly proven themselves. “Spiritual referents have shown us that links with our places of worship can be maintained via the Internet, television or radio. It is still possible to suggest things in small groups or to film the celebration, ”notes Emily.
The questioning by the Council of State of the ban on gatherings in places of worship does not mean that they are currently authorized.
The faithful and those in charge of mosques must prepare for the impossibility of performing the collective prayer of Eid: pic.twitter.com/ZQmaM5N7w3
A precautionary principle shared by certain religious referents. In a statement released on Tuesday, the Grand Mosque of Paris warned: "In view of the still very fragile health situation, it is currently unrealistic to raise the idea of gatherings for the prayer of Eid El- Fitr, May 23 or 24, especially in regions classified red ”. For the Chief Rabbi of France, Haïm Korsia, this decision of the Council of State does not necessarily herald the resumption of offices: “It does not change. We will not rush to reopen (…) it would be dangerous, ”he told AFP.
Contacted by 20 Minutes , the spokesperson and secretary general of the Conference of Bishops of France, Thierry Magnin, wanted to be more reassuring: “We have distributed recommendations to all the bishops and we have also transmitted them to the government. We are ready to resume with adaptations, of course. There will be no gathering in front of the churches at the beginning and at the end of the mass, no hugging or handshakes during the "peace of Christ", disinfection and systematic cleaning of all Eucharistic objects and Communion will be performed by a celebrant with a mask and without direct hand-to-hand contact. "
But these arguments sometimes struggle to convince. At the age of 70, Nicole made her choice: “Personally, I will not go if I see that there are too many people and if the distance instructions are not followed. The virus is still there, let's not forget. "
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