Billy Kennedy: Faith communities in Northern Ireland perplexed by third church lockdown

The Church of Ireland, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and Methodist churches, and representatives of smaller denominations, were given a detailed update on the dire effects of the Covid pandemic situation in the Province at a specially-arranged meeting with senior medical and health officials on Thursday.

After the meeting, attended by Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride and Chief Scientific Officer Professor Ian Young, the general consensus was that, regrettably, closure for four weeks was the safest, most sensible option.

The church leaders say they recognise the very serious position Northern Ireland is in due to the pandemic and instructions have been issued to congregations and parishes to abide by this recommendation.

In-person gatherings for worship, along with most other church gatherings, will lock down until Saturday, February 6, which means there will be no service worship over the next four Sundays.

Weddings and funerals will continue as will baptisms, drive-in services at church locations, and private prayer sessions.

However, this is the third church lockdown since the pandemic hit Northern Ireland last spring and the vibrant faith communities, embracing a huge segment of our population, will again be bitterly disappointed and perplexed that the fundamental right to in-house church worship has again been abandoned, albeit for only a month-long period.

The latest closure announcement was clearly choreographed with the Stormont Executive politicians standing back to allow the churchmen to hear the latest medical advice and make up their own minds on what was best for their flocks.

This was obvious from comments by the Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster, who conceded she was hoping for a “voluntary agreement” by the churches.

Several parties in the Executive, particularly Sinn Fein, wanted to enforce an arbitrary closure with the DUP favouring keeping the church doors open for services, albeit with tight restrictions. The voluntary intervention by the churches has now prevented a deeply divisive vote by the politicians.

Presbyterian Church clerk the Rev Trevor Gribben said: “In light of our ongoing consultations and the current serious and worsening situation, and in line with unequivocal public health guidance that people should stay at home, we have written to our congregations in Northern Ireland, informing them that all in-person Sunday gatherings for worship, along with most other in-person church gatherings, should cease in all PCI congregations until Saturday February 6.

“It is regrettable and disappointing that over these next few weeks our congregations will no longer be physically gathering for worship,” added Mr Gribben.

A Church of Ireland spokesman said public worship was already suspended in the Northern Ireland-based parishes of Kilmore diocese, in South Fermanagh.

“Several Church of Ireland parishes in other parts of Northern Ireland had also already voluntarily suspended worship and the statements by the churches are also voluntary decisions by them, based on public health advice.

“We made our own decisions and were not compelled to close by the Executive,” the CoI spokesman added.