Bishops say ban on church services ‘unfair’

S c o t l a n d ’s Catholic bishops have branded a ban on daily church ser vices during the second c o r o n av i r u s lockdown as “arbitrary and unfair”.

While Nicola Sturgeon insisted the move was “essential” to help try to bring the new, faster-spreading strain of Covid-19 under control, the bishops said the decision in England to allow churches and other places of worship to stay open showed the “essential c o n t r i b u t i o n” these make to p e o p l e’s “spiritual welfare”.

The church leaders reacted with “dismay and confusion” after the first minister, announcing a second lockdown for mainland Scotland, said places of worship could only remain open for weddings or funerals – where numbers must be limited – and for broadcasting services.

Speaking at her regular coronavirus briefing, Ms Sturgeon accepted the move would be “very distressing” for many people.

She added: “I know people in faith communities take great comfort from collective worship, this is a particularly hard restriction to bear.

“But we do deem it essential at the moment to help us with that overall task of getting the virus back under control.”

The first minister made the comments as S c o t l a n d ’s Catholic bishops said they would co- operate with and support the government in “its efforts in protecting the common good”.

Churches and other religious centres were closed in the initial Covid-19 lockdown but reopened as restrictions were eased, with measures put in place to try to curb the spread of the virus, including limits on congregation numbers.