Billy Kennedy: When will Stormont explain why church services must stop as off-licences remain open?

Closure of church doors for Sunday services has caused considerable anger across all the denominations in the Province and it has led some to even question the moral compass of the various parties who take decisions in what is seen as an increasingly dysfunctional devolved administration.

Earlier this week, the Executive did relax the faith restrictions slightly by permitting individuals to enter churches to pray. However, individual prayer on a daily basis is more a Roman Catholic tradition, while the Protestant denominations place more emphasis on full Sunday and mid-week worship gatherings.

The abandonment of Sunday service gatherings for a fortnight clearly undermines the fundamentals of historic civil and religious liberty in our British society and it also breaches human rights to fully express religious beliefs.

Presbyterian moderator, the Rev Dr David Bruce, said the closure diktat was a major concern for church leaders and their congregations. He said congregations had gone to great lengths, at considerable cost, to ensure that their buildings were totally safe for people to come and worship together.

Roman Catholic primate Archbishop Eamon Martin echoed the Presbyterian moderator’s words about the precautions implemented in the various church buildings.

The archbishop added: “I cannot understand how a person may still go into an off-licence to buy alcohol, but not be permitted to visit and sit in quiet solitary prayer in a large church.”

First Minister Arlene Foster, her Executive colleagues from the various parties, and the unelected and unaccountable senior health officials have not bothered to fully explain how of-licences selling alcohol must continue to stay open and be given special hierarchy status over churches.

This decision is further evidence of the lack of empathy shown by some of the Stormont parties for our most cherished institution - the church in all its forms.

Meanwhile, a senior DUP politician has tabled a motion at Westminster calling on churches to be re-opened for public worship across the entire United Kingdom.

East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell said a range of church clerics have been strenuously lobbying Downing Street in an effort to get their churches opened up once more, while a number have sought legal advice as they seek a judicial review of the closure.

Mr Campbell has been joined with a range of other MPs in support for the motion which states: “The covid-19 pandemic has taken its toll on almost every element of life, including our churches. Whilst we understand the logic of circuit breakers, no one wants to see the churches closed to congregational worship.

“In Northern Ireland, our churches have been open more throughout this pandemic than any other region in the UK and the Irish Republic. We are thankful for this.

“The Christmas season is a very special one for Christians, many will be travelling back to spend the Christmas season with their families and part of that would normally include church services, it is essential therefore that public worship be allowed to re commence as soon as possible, it is also the responsibility of churches to ensure that public worship is carried out safely and securely within the publicly issued guidelines.”

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