Religious festivals "sources of risks for confinement", according to Matignon

The months of April and May see this year succeed the major festivals of the three major monotheistic religions (Passover, Easter and Ramadan), and this is not without worrying the French authorities. They fear that the rituals, usually celebrated in the family, will push the faithful to leave their homes, in defiance of the confinement in force. According to a confidential note from the Prime Minister, which France 24 was able to consult, Matignon calls the prefectures to the greatest vigilance during these periods considered as "sources of risks for containment".

The Passover celebrations began on Wednesday evening April 8. Catholics, for their part, are preparing to celebrate Holy Week punctuated by the "Easter Triduum" - Holy Thursday, April 9, followed by Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Finally, Muslims will start Ramadan on the evening of April 23.

These three major festivals of monotheistic religions are usually the occasion for family and festive gatherings. But in times of coronavirus, these groupings are prohibited and Matignon does not intend to give exemptions. "The containment measures must be strictly observed," insists the note in the introduction.

"The faithful must pray in isolation"

All is not prohibited, recalls Matignon. The faithful are authorized to go to places of worship which remain open, but "individually" and "provided with a certificate of derogatory displacement". As with other trips, this trip must be made "within the limit of one hour daily and within a radius of one kilometer from the home".

In places of worship, the faithful must pray "in isolation" and remain "dispersed," said the note. It is the responsibility of each community to respect these instructions.

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For those who do not have a place of worship near the home or do not wish to leave their homes, the ceremonies can be celebrated behind closed doors by the ministers of worship and videotaped in order to be broadcast to the community of worship. The framework of these registrations will also have to respect the rules of confinement and social distancing measures.

"These prescriptions, of national scope, may be subject to more restrictive local adaptations by the prefects," said the note, thus leaving the prefectures free to close places of worship if they deem it necessary.

Worship at a distance

The prefects are asked to invite the religious authorities of their constituency to broadcast messages to "remind the regulatory prescriptions while insisting on the respect of confinement" and to "encourage a practice of worship based on the use of social networks (.. .), television or the Internet. "

Several ministers of religion have already called for respecting confinement. The Chief Rabbi of France, Haïm Korsia, issued several calls asking the Jewish community to respect the confinement on April 8 and 9, for the two evenings of the seder, a meal that commemorates the flight from Egypt and the biblical exodus of the people Jewish.

On the side of the Catholic Church, since the beginning of confinement, almost one in two parishes already retransmits its Sunday celebrations. The inter-ministerial crisis cell of Matignon, however, seems worried about the Easter celebrations. "The displacements aiming at being in family and those which would consist in gathering in the churches will constitute the major points of attention", one can read in the note.

"Periods and sensitive areas"

As for the Ramadan celebrations, the authorities believe that several points require special vigilance. The prefectures will have to ensure that the places of worship will remain closed, if the confinement instructions have not changed by April 23. They will also have to ensure that the rules of social distancing are respected during food shopping, "which usually provoke gatherings in community businesses", specifies the note.

Finally, the prefects are asked to watch carefully at the time of iftar, the breaking of the fast every evening of Ramadan, Laylat al-Qadr, Night of Destiny, May 19, and Eid el-Fitr , which marks the end of Ramadan.

The prefectures must prepare for this period "in connection with the whole religious community".

Failure to comply with the rules may be punished and the prefects must provide the security resources necessary to enforce them. They must thus "focus the effort of the ISPs (internal security forces, Editor's note) on sensitive periods and areas (evenings, etc.) to suppress any gathering on the public highway".

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