Catholics ‘to sue Government on church closures’
CATHOLICS in Scotland are preparing a legal challenge against coronavirus restrictions, claiming their human right to worship has been breached.
A prominent Glasgow priest has set up a campaign group, Freedom for Faith, to lobby the Scottish Government to reopen the country’s churches during lockdown.
Canon Thomas White is calling for a judicial review of the current legislation and has launched a crowdfunding drive to raise £50,000 to receive Queen’s Counsel – with the backing of hundreds of Catholics.
In just two days, around £8,000 was donated to his campaign, with financial backers thanking him for ‘fighting for our faith’.
All churches in Scotland were forced to close their doors on Friday as part of stricter lockdown rules announced by the Scottish Government last week.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: ‘I’m well aware of how important communal worship is to people, but we believe this restriction is necessary to reduce the risk of transmission.’
Up to 20 people will still be able to attend private funeral services and a maximum of five people will be able to attend weddings.
The move comes as churches south of the Border have been assured they can stay open during the current lockdown.
Canon White, from St Alphonsus RC Church in the Calton area of Glasgow, believes the measures imposed have ‘ very little regard for the rights of freedom of worship and family life’. He stressed that there have been no confirmed cases of Covid-19 linked to attendance of Catholic churches in Scotland.
In a video message on his Just Giving page he states: ‘Without any evidence or indeed any justification or explanation, the Scottish Government has impinged our human rights. The right of assembly and freedom of religion and the right to family life. Regardless of the capacity of our churches, arbitrary numbers of 20 and five have been imposed upon significant celebrations in people’s lives.
‘Saying goodbye to a loved one or indeed our young generations pledging themselves to each other in marriage.’
Canon White, who was the victim of a sectarian attack in 2018, when he was spat on during an Orange march, adds: ‘We want to prove that the people of Scotland have the right and freedom of religion.’
The Catholic Bishops Conference of Scotland has asked the Scottish Government to ‘reconsider’ the decision to close places of worship when the current measures are reviewed later this month.
A spokesman said it was ‘perplexed’ by the decision, adding: ‘ No evidence has been forthcoming to justify the inclusion of places of worship as sources of infection. Without such scientific evidence, these restrictions will appear to Catholics to be arbitrary and unfair.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘The virus transmits when people come together and therefore we have to reduce, as far as possible, the places where they do so – this involves the decision on places of worship, just as it does schools and workplaces, so we can keep the country as safe as possible. We don’t want places of worship to be closed.’
‘We have right and freedom of religion’