Kwestia otwarcia Kościołów do kultu publicznego – WARTO PRZECZYTAĆ
Home » Uncategorized » Kwestia otwarcia Kościołów do kultu publicznego – WARTO PRZECZYTAĆON LINE MEETING WITH MARTIN FRASER, SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE TAOISEACH
The Secretary General asked for a meeting this afternoon to inform the Churches about the discussion at and the decisions taken by yesterday’s Cabinet meeting.
The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and the Public Health authorities were strongly against making any exception for Churches from the maximum number of 50 at indoor gatherings. They had specific concerns about Churches: these included the problem of access and exit from Churches and especially in car parks; they felt that the larger of any gathering the greater the risk; they referred to examples from overseas where outbreaks occurred around Church gatherings; they were concerned about the possibility of community singing fostering the spread of droplets.
Cabinet was anxious to widen the possibilities for Churches but was not prepared simply to lay aside the view of the CMO.
The result is that the number of 50 remains the norm for Churches at this moment.
The government is prepared to exempt the Churches from the specific Norms of the Department of Health that would the force of law and where a breach would be criminal. The Churches would have to accept the more general advice of the HSE.
They have instructed the Secretary to the Government to initiate a process whereby the norms of the HSE and those of the Churches would be examined and positions of agreement identified. The intention of the Government was to complete this process in the course of the coming week. It is hoped that an agreement could be reached which would permit removing the cap of 50, if wider advice is followed. There was a recognition that the needs of the Catholic Church were different to that of smaller denominations where congregations were generally smaller.
It was felt that a new incoming government would follow the same path as was decided yesterday.
The recommendation would however have to be submitted once again to the CMO and there is no guarantee that he would accept the conclusion.
I asked if it would be possible to relax the number on particular situations – I mentioned the announcement of a new Bishop – and the Secretary General was very explicit in saying that Cabinet would not authorise him to permit any such flexibility.
+Diarmuid Martin
26 June 2020
