General Counsel Mike Berry of First Liberty Institute (FLI) — an organization that assists in legal battles over religious freedom — told Church Militant, “Attorney General Barr’s strong statement of support for religious liberty, even during these unique circumstances, makes clear that our constitutional rights cannot be suspended by a pandemic.”

Berry added FLI and its clients are “grateful to have an attorney general who understands that there is an appropriate way to balance public health with religious freedom.”

Barr stated that “government may not impose special restrictions on religious activity that do not also apply to similar nonreligious activity.”

He elaborated: “If a government allows movie theaters, restaurants, concert halls and other comparable places of assembly to remain open and unrestricted, it may not order houses of worship to close, limit their congregation size or otherwise impede religious gatherings.”