The Church needs to step up and provide stronger spiritual leadership

sir – As Bishop Michael Nazir-ali suggests (Comment, April 7), prayer vigils and Easter services could be held in churchyards, but it would be wonderful if churches were opened for private prayer over the Easter weekend. Yet we have had no guidance from the Anglican Church, only silence, which is small comfort to those who want to worship or who simply seek spiritual solace.

Do we still have a viable Church of England under such an inactive leadership? It is there, after all, to look after the spiritual welfare of the nation. Marian Waters

Pebworth, Warwickshire

sir – We are told that Covid-19 has not yet reached its peak. Doctors, nurses and care workers have died, and our Prime Minister is in intensive care.

Bishop Michael Nazir-ali proposes that small groups could gather in parks, large churchyards and open spaces, and that “safety measures could be specified”. But why should the Church be allowed to flout the law, risking the lives of others, not least frontline workers? We Christians should not be given “this one indulgence”. In my home, we pray daily for the safety of all and an end to this pandemic. Deborah Crump

Bishop’s Waltham, Hampshire

sir – Rev Margaret Hayward (Letters, April 7) asks whether my decision to keep my church open overlooks the suffering of victims of Covid-19 and those on the front line.

I am well aware of those who are suffering, but we as clergy, who are also on the front line, must not forget the suffering of so many others: the homeless and drug addicts; those frightened and despairing in isolation; children who are too terrified to go outside; those who will end their lives because their futures are being ruined.

Many vulnerable people will suffer and many will die – but the vast majority will not be victims of Covid-19.

This is the context in which we must judge whether churches should be closed. Why, when I can buy beer at my local shop, should people not be allowed inside my church for comfort and prayer? Rev David Ackerman

London W10

sir – Church buildings are closed, yes, but the Church is composed of people, not buildings, and they have moved the Church online.

My church’s first online service had more than 700 views – far more than we ever get in the building – and there will be an online service every Sunday.

Every member of our church has been phoned to see if they either need or can offer help, chat groups are forming and virtual choir practice is going strong. I am sure that we are not the exception.

We can be thankful for the technology that enables us to do these things. When churches open again, I am sure that lessons learnt now will not be forgotten. Margaret Squire

Teddington, Middlesex