Deliver us from idiocy!
In latest potty Covid crackdown, mourners at funeral banned from saying Lord’s Prayer
MOURNERS were told they couldn’t say the Lord’s Prayer at a 94-year-old grandmother’s funeral because ‘chanting’ could spread Covid.
However, the official who conducted the service said the 15 mourners – who all wore masks and were socially- distanced – merely ‘mumbled’ the prayer.
Christians said the ruling was ‘cruel’, but council-run Coychurch Crematorium in Bridgend, south Wales, refused to back down and is continuing to prevent grieving families reciting prayers together.
Celebrant Alison Davies, 53, who conducted the service, said: I was flabbergasted.
‘There was no way we were chanting or shouting, the congregation were mumbling the Lord’s Prayer.
‘What’s unbelievable is this crematorium is going to carry on doing this. It’s dreadful that so much has already been taken away from these families, and now this.’
She told how she was reaching the end of the 20-minute service last week when mourners began reciting the prayer. As they were finishing, a chapel attendant burst in to stop them. Mrs Davies said: ‘ When I phoned the manager she said reciting the prayer is classed as chanting and shouting. It looks like common sense has just gone out of the window. It gives people comfort to say the Lord’s Prayer.’
Her husband Gwyn said: ‘It was a real jobsworth official who came up with the family standing there.’
Local MP Alex Davies- Jones said: ‘I was appalled. Praying in a low tone doesn’t break any coronavirus rules. The situation could have been handled more sensitively.’ Andrea Williams, of the campaign group Christian Concern, said: ‘This has a chilling effect. You can see how these rules are being used to stop perfectly lawful activity. This incident was cruel.’
A Welsh government spokesman said venues should ‘use common sense’, adding: ‘While chanting is restricted in funerals, speaking in a low tone to pray would not be considered against the guidance.’
But Bridgend County Borough Council insisted crematorium bosses were just following rules that allow only one person to speak at a time during a funeral.
It comes days after a family was told off at a funeral when a son went to comfort his mother.
Craig Bicknell, 43, from Milton Keynes, had seen his mother was upset and moved near to her, with two other people following suit at Crownhill Crematorium.
But a member of staff interrupted the service and shouted at them to ‘move the chairs back’.