People bereaved in the pandemic ‘unable to say a proper goodbye’
ALMOST NINE in 10 people who have been bereaved during the pandemic said they have been unable to say goodbye properly, new research from the Church of England has said.
Young adults have been the worst affected by bereavement according to the Church.
The research has shown 51 per cent of 18 to 29-year-olds have had a bereavement since the start of the pandemic, compared with 31 per cent aged 60 and above.
They are more likely to be involved with funeral arrangements than older adults too. Some 26 per cent of younger adults said they had helped organise a funeral compared to seven per cent of the older age group.
The online survey of more than 2,000 adults showed that nearly three quarters of people – more than seven in 10 – who wanted to attend a funeral over the past year were unable to do so because of the pandemic.
The findings have been released as Church of England cathedrals and parishes prepare to help mark the National Day of Reflection on Tuesday March 23, the first anniversary of lockdown. The day is being led by the Marie Curie charity and is supported by organisations including the Church of England.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said: “This Day of Reflection is an opportunity to pause and remember all that’s happened over the past year, to mourn those who have died but also to give thanks for those who have looked after us and our communities. It is a moment to pray together to our Father in Heaven to comfort us in our grief and to lead us into the hope of the risen Christ and the eternal life he promises.”
The Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell said: “The day of national reflection and remembrance will give us time to look back on the sorrows and difficulties of the past year and remember those who have died and those who have suffered so much.”
Churches and cathedrals across England are being encouraged to toll a bell to mark the nation’s losses at the end of a minute’s silence planned for midday on March 23.