Covid-19: resumption of masses in France with a contested gauge
The faithful returned to mass this Sunday, November 29, in strict compliance with health protocol.
Here at the Saint-Suplice church in Paris.
REUTERS - BENOIT TESSIER
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
Masses can again be celebrated in churches in France, with a limit of 30 people per office.
This Sunday morning, the Council of State asked the government to review this gauge.
The faithful and the clergy do not seem to really understand the interest of such a measure.
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Even masked, returning to church is a relief for the dozens of faithful present this Sunday, November 29 at the office of Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs, in Paris, after more than a month without mass.
“
I have the impression of coming home
, testifies a faithful.
This is my second home.
I missed not being able to receive Communion.
It especially marked me to live my faith alone.
"
Among the faithful, many are astonished at
the level
of thirty people per office imposed by the executive: "
In a church like Saint-Sulpice or Saint-Nicolas, which are enormous
,
thirty people is ridiculous
", regrets another faithful.
The bishops asked the government to review this gauge.
For Benoît d'Arras, the vicar of Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs, it is not normal that the Church is penalized.
"
Booksellers, for example, have defended the importance, for the mind, for the soul, of continuing to cultivate oneself
," he explains.
They can recognize that the Church brings this spiritual addition.
And so if in bookstores it can be one person for every eight square meters, it must be the same in churches
.
"
For the moment, many churches are increasing the number of services to accommodate as many faithful as possible.
A particularly difficult situation in large cities, according to the Conference of Bishops of France.
With "
a dense population
"and"
parishes which welcome several hundred people every weekend
", in Paris, the decision"
would require to multiply the number of Masses at an unbearable rate
[...]
without being able to
welcome everyone in the end
", writes in a communicated the Archbishop of Paris Michel Aupetit.
The Council of State asks the government to review the gauge
The episcopate seized Friday, November 27 the Council of State by filing an appeal against the limitation to thirty of the number of faithful during religious services.
It should be followed by others, deposited individually, such as that of the Archbishop of Paris Michel Aupetit.
They plead for a gauge fixed according to the size of the buildings.
The episcopate's appeal was deemed admissible by the Council of State on Sunday.
France's highest administrative court has asked the government to review this gauge within three days.
The Conference of Bishops of France estimated in a press release, after the decision, that "
the law had thus been restored and reason recognized
".
She expresses "
however the wish that the legal remedy remains the exception in the dialogue with the authorities of our country
", she adds while her representatives have an appointment this Sunday at 6 pm with Prime Minister Jean Castex.
We will also have to take into account the
calls for gatherings
on the forecourt.
Launched by a minority trend of Catholics four weeks ago, these are continuing.
The collective “Objectif messe” thus calls for “
demonstrating the ridiculousness of the situation
” today in Nantes, Lille, Rennes, Grenoble, Neuily-sur-Seine, or even Rambouillet.
Thursday, November 26, the Prime Minister had mentioned a "
possible evolution
" of these restrictions, but only "
according to the health situation and the deadline of December 15
".
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