Open church doors

The Government has also failed to justify its ban on collective worship. In Wednesday’s Commons debate, Theresa May pointed out that it sets a worrying precedent and has particular consequences for this weekend. “The Covidsecure Remembrance service in Worcester Cathedral,” she said, “is now going to be turned into a pre-recorded online service. Surely those men and women who laid down their lives for our freedom deserve better than this?”

Under the Covid regulations, Remembrance events must be held outside (the exception is Westminster Abbey) and limited to “veterans of the Armed Forces or their representatives or carers”. Anyone who dares to step into a church will be fined £200, rising to £6,000 for repeat offenders. Speaking in the House of Lords, Lord Cormack pointed out that this means a war hero who is “90 and over” is welcome to “stand in the cold and be rained on”, but they cannot take shelter in a “safe, socially distanced cathedral” where it is dry and warm. He called the rules “imbecilic” and a “disgrace”.

A key point is that churches have not stood still but have spent time and money to enable social distancing and police attendance. They can be trusted with the safety of their flocks. The Government wants to protect public health but this interference in Remembrance services goes too far. Aside from being a gross overreach of state power, it piles on the misery and undermines mental health. On a day as sacred as this Sunday, people wish to be together – safely, of course, but to revive the ties of comradeship and shared memory. The Government should change its mind. People need their churches now more than ever.