Following yesterday's statement of the Prime Minister, the government's guidance required banning communal worship among other things. This is very troubling as acts of worship, especially the Eucharist, are central and essential. Cardinal Vincent Nichols together with our Archbishop Malcolm McMahon have released a statement, part of which reads:
"Our communities have done a great deal to make our churches safe places in which all have been able to gather in supervised and disciplined ways. It is thus a source of deep anguish now that the Government is requiring, once again, the cessation of public communal worship. Whilst we understand the many difficult decisions facing the Government, we have not yet seen any evidence whatsoever that would make the banning of communal worship, with all its human costs, a productive part of combatting the virus."
The draft legislation will be placed before Parliament on Monday 2 November. One of the suggestions from the bishops is to contact local MPs regarding the cessation of public common worship. Please consider taking action.
Read the full statement of the bishops here: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/statement-from-the-president-and-the-vice-president-of-the-conference-on-the-prime-ministers-statement/
More on this topic: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54768430