Police raids on Italian churches raise religious freedom concerns
Under the terms of Italy’s quarantine, only four reasons are recognized as legitimate for moving about outside one’s home: Visiting a grocery store or pharmacy; going to work, if the job is regarded as “essential”; visiting a doctor or hospital for a health emergency; and getting home from any of the above. Notably, going to church to pray isn’t on the list.
Though so far it hasn’t become a cause célèbre, police in Italy, the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic with more than 10,000 deaths, quietly have been slapping both priests and worshippers gathering in churches with citations for violating the terms of a nationwide lockdown.
In theory the citations could lead to fines or even jail terms, despite constitutional protections in Italy guaranteeing freedom of religion. These crackdowns have sparked debate among Catholics and legal experts.
Father Carmine Petrilli of San Giuseppe Artigiano parish in Rocca Priora, roughly a 45-minute drive southeast of Rome, is one of those unhappy with the status quo.
Speaking to Crux, Petrilli noted that churches are allowed to be open, “but they say people can’t go because it’s not a ‘primary need’. This is what they say. But the constitution guarantees freedom of worship in every situation.”
You can find the whole story here.
