Fr. Manuel Barrios Prieto recalls that the reopening of churches must be carried out by civil authorities in dialogue with Church institutions, using clear rather than arbitrary rules.

The COMECE message is a reaction to the difficulties encountered in Italy and France in restoring the Liturgy with the participation of the faithful in churches, even though other sanitary restrictions introduced during the pandemic have been significantly relaxed.

European Bishops point out that in the current crisis, dialogue between European and national institutions is crucial. Fr. Barrios Prieto thus refers to the recently published guidelines of the European Commission on leaving the epidemic, which do not contain any direct reference to the exercise of religious rites.

The Secretary-General of the Episcopal Commission of the European Community notes that “the aggressive approach of some secular entities to the role of religion in public space could have contributed to its marginalisation” during the pandemic. He also recalls that “the erosion of fundamental rights in the context of the current crisis, including religious freedom, cannot become a new norm; these rights must be fully restored as soon as possible.”

Source: pch24.pl

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