France’s State Council, the country’s highest court, has ordered the government to review a law limiting the attendance at religious services to 30. In a statement released on November 29, the said restriction was not proportionate to Coronavirus infection risks, reports Reuters.
France went into a second nationwide lockdown from October 30 to December 1. Two days before the end of the lockdown, the government allowed shops selling non-essential goods to re-open. However, the 30-people cap on religious services was not lifted, regardless of the size of the church.
The claimants are right in saying that the measure is disproportionate in light of protecting the public’s health…thus it is a serious and illegal infringement on the freedom of worship. —France’s State Council
Catholic organizations cried foul to the restriction on places of worship, saying churches and cathedrals are more spacious than retail stores. They proposed allowing churches to use 30% of its seating capacity during worship services.
The bishop of Nanterre, Matthieu R