There is no time to call for a purple skullcap when you are President of the Republic.
At 11:44 pm this Tuesday, Bishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort received a phone call from Emmanuel Macron, which has already happened in the past.
Earlier in the evening, the Archbishop of Reims, who is also the head of the Conference of Bishops of France (CEF), sent an email to the Elysee to express his astonishment and say all the harm that he thought of this "gauge of 30 faithful".
During his televised address at 8 pm, the Head of State had announced, in fact, a resumption of religious services with public for all cults from Saturday, November 28 "within the strict limit of 30 people".
No difference, therefore, between a tiny chapel and a huge cathedral, a small and large mosque ... "On the phone, Emmanuel Macron told him that he believed that this was what religions had asked for," says Vincent Neymon, spokesperson for the CEF who has been preaching in recent weeks for a “proportionate” solution, a gauge according to the size of the place of worship.
According to the episcopate, President Macron assured him that a "new realistic gauge will be defined by Thursday morning".
"The president read 30 people instead of 30%"
It should be formalized by the Prime Minister, Jean Castex.
Each place of worship could receive a number of faithful corresponding to one third of its normal reception capacities, with 4 m2 of space between each person.
"The president also confirmed to Bishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort that December 15 was also a date of reassessment for religions", details Vincent Neymon, who wants to believe in a new easing just before Christmas.
The announcement of this 30-person gauge did not only stir up a wave of indignation within the hierarchy of the Church of France.
Many priests and faithful stepped up to the plate, like most representatives of other cults.
For Father Christian Lancrey-Javal, parish priest of Notre-Dame de Compassion in Paris (17th century), this is “at best, a clumsiness, at worst, a provocation”.
“There is total ignorance of what is going on in churches.
It is a vexatious measure.
Even non-believers told me so, ”he repeats.
VIDEO. Return of the masses: "Let us breathe", ask the Catholics to Macron
“Benevolence makes me think there was some kind of shell.
The president read 30 people instead of 30% of the capacity of each place of worship ”, wants to believe the ecclesiastic.
At the French Council for Muslim Worship (CFCM), “we share the anger and indignation of our Catholic brothers”.
"This measure was poorly thought out and badly organized", tackle Abdallah Zekri, his general delegate.
"It's a joke, we are not going to give a ticket to the faithful and at 30, we do not let anyone in.
If there are 100 of them in front of the mosque, the others will want to come, there is a risk of jostling, this will cause incidents, ”he fears.
And to propose, "as a wise decision", an opening of each mosque "to 50% of its capacities in order to respect the distances".
"We have already made a lot of efforts, we have closed all the ablution rooms", he defends.
"Thirty is better than zero"
On the Protestant side also, "we were surprised" by the limit unveiled by the Head of State.
"It did not correspond to something applicable", comments Aude Millet-Lopez, communication manager of the Protestant Federation of France (FPF).
Its president, François Clavairoly, also at the helm of the Conference of Religious Leaders in France (CRCF), received a call this Wednesday morning from the Office of Worship of the Ministry of the Interior promising him that a new proposal will be unveiled this morning. Thursday.
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Within the Jewish community, we are much less critical of this gauge of 30 faithful.
The Chief Rabbi of France, Haïm Korsia, said he was "already very happy" with the return of the collective celebrations.
“The most important thing is to resume services,” he insists.
And "thirty is better than zero".
“It's a way of saying you have to be careful.
It's a co-production: we are also responsible for the health of our faithful, ”he believes.
According to him, "that there is an adaptation according to the places, that is understood, but it is complicated to apply".
However, he is not opposed to it.
“We can organize some offices with more people, taking into account local specificities.
The Prime Minister will clarify things… ”