French brotherhood braves pandemic to bury the destitute

A ringing bell breaks the silence of the cemetery as five members of the Charitable Brotherhood of Saint Eloi in Bethune solemnly remove their twopointed hats. All are wearing black capes, white gloves and, of course, face masks. Founded eight centuries ago during a plague outbreak that devastated this region of northern France, the charity is continuing its mission to give homeless people a respectable burial — even during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Our role remains the same. Regardless of the social rank of the deceased, we do exactly the same thing,” Robert Guenot, the charity’s provost, told AFP.

The 25 volunteer members bury nearly 300 dead every year. But the COVID-19 outbreak, which has led to an unprecedented lockdown of

France’s population and limited funeral attendance to around 20 people, has forced the organisation to adapt its traditions and rituals.

“We’ve reduced our activities because there are no longer any religious ceremonies, but we’ve also reduced our presence: there are now only five volunteers per service, as opposed to the usual 11, because we don’t want to penalise families,” said 72-year-old Guenot. They also take sanitary precautions.

“We try to protect ourselves as much as possible. Anyone who feels ill of course refuses to be in the service. There’s no taking risks,” said Patrick Tijeras, 55, who became a member in November.

“We feel that we have a social value,” Tijeras said. “Just as a sick person has the right to be cared for, the dead person has the right to this dignified treatment.”