Places of worship will serve as an exception.

The health pass, which will soon be extended to most public places, will not be necessary to enter places of worship, the Prime Minister's services said on Tuesday.


Compulsory from July 21 for places of "leisure and culture" gathering more than 50 people, then in restaurants and long-distance transport from August, the health pass does not apply to places of worship because they benefit from a "constitutional protection", explained Matignon to AFP, confirming information from

Figaro

.

The faithful will therefore not have to present this document, which attests to a negative Covid test or a complete vaccination, to go to pray.

Freedom of worship


The particular importance of freedom of worship has already been stressed twice by the Council of State since the start of the Covid-19 epidemic.

In November 2020, the highest French administrative court had thus retested the maximum level of 30 people in religious ceremonies initially imposed by the government.

In their decision, the judges considered that the activities carried out in places of worship "are not of the same nature" as in cinemas or theaters and that "the fundamental freedoms which are at stake are not the same".


Previously, the Council of State had ordered in May 2020 to lift the “general and absolute” ban on meetings in places of worship, which the government wanted to impose as part of the gradual deconfinement after the first wave.

"Encourage the faithful to be vaccinated"


This Tuesday evening, the Conference of Bishops of France (CEF) took note on Twitter of this exemption from the health pass to access churches.

She "invites everyone to mobilize against the virus and calls on Catholics to mobilize by taking their own responsibility vis-à-vis the vaccine".


For its part, the French Council for Muslim Worship (CFCM) issued a press release which "calls on imams and mosque officials in France to seize all opportunities which present themselves to them to encourage the faithful to be vaccinated".

  • Health

  • Health pass

  • Covid 19

  • Coronavirus

  • Vaccination

  • Religion