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Post-Catholic countries want to show the Church “where it belongs”

When is an attack on religious freedom not an attack on religious freedom? According to many governments, the answer is when religion is treated like anything else, writes columnist Charles Collins in the Catholic Herald.

 

The author describes various types of government measures in Ireland to limit the possibility of exercising public worship. The authorities explained that it was not about any persecution or harassment of the Church because all assemblies, whether religious or not, were simply forbidden.

However, in the opinion of at least some of the bishops of Ireland, including Archbishop Eamon Martin, the actions taken by the government were provocative and draconian. Celebrating Holy Mass with the participation of the faithful has become a crime.

In Northern Ireland, churches opened about a month ago after more than half of the country’s adults had taken at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

The situation is different in the Republic of Ireland – although there are plans to loosen the restrictions in this country, the opening of the churches is to come almost at the very end – despite the fact that the Irish bishops have introduced effective and precise sanitary mechanisms in the churches.

There are also such abuses in Canada. In Quebec, police recently seized wine from two of the only suppliers in Quebec. Canada’s alcohol law is so complex that it cannot simply be imported from another province without a special license, and one that would be accepted by the Quebec authorities.  There is no altar wine producer in Canada.

The situation was even more difficult than during the prohibition era in the early twentieth century, which included not only the US but most of Canada. Then, alcohol for religious purposes was still allowed. This of course impacts the celebration of Holy Mass across the region.

Source: pch24.pl

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