White smoke has finally emerged from the Ministry of the Interior, thanks to a press release from its boss Gérald Darmanin sent at 8:42 pm this Wednesday evening: the new reception gauge for the faithful during religious ceremonies provides " to leave two seats free between each person or family entity and to occupy only one row out of two ”.
"The consultations will continue in the coming days, in order to prepare the evolution of the containment measures from December 15", specifies the tenant of the place Beauvau, who could relax the reception system on that date.
A painful childbirth.
For between worship and the State, frankly, the time is not for communion.
For more than a week, the representatives of the different faiths and the summits of power had all the trouble in the world to find a consensus on the resumption of public services.
Telephone exchange with the President of the Republic, crisis meeting led by the Prime Minister, videoconference with an official from the Ministry of the Interior, etc., the negotiations turned into a real way of the cross.
During his televised address on November 24, Emmanuel Macron announced the return of the celebrations while respecting a maximum gauge of 30 faithful.
This quota immediately provoked an outcry, largely from the side of the clergy demanding that the size of the building be taken into account.
It was also criticized by the Council of State, deeming it “unnecessary, disproportionate and discriminatory”.
This Wednesday morning, during an interview on BFMTV / RMC, Jean Castex had proposed to soften the restriction to "6 m2 per faithful".
The day before, during a "consultation" meeting of about two hours with the director of cabinet of the place Beauvau, the representatives of the different religions leaned "massively" for a gauge of 4 m2 per person when the authorities were rather advancing that of 8 m2.
The tenant of Matignon therefore suggested cutting the pear, or rather the host, in half.
In the end, the Interior Ministry opted for a more concrete system of vacated seats and rows.
“It's more realistic than the 30 people, but it's quite restrictive.
But for the next two Sundays, we will comply with this new gauge.
There was a real consultation, we hope that it will continue ”, comments Vincent Neymon, spokesperson for the Conference of Bishops of France (CEF).
"Divergences in the two camps"
This improvement at the end of the day should not mask the recent strained relations between the episcopate and the State.
The proposal of Jean Castex at the microphone of Jean-Jacques Bourdin was badly digested.
"We are a little fed up with this erratic communication from the government", irritated, in the morning, an official of the Church of France on condition of anonymity.
"An interview is not an official channel for dialogue, even if we love Jean-Jacques Bourdin a lot," he tackled.
In his eyes, the best rule was not that of 6 m2 but that of “third of the occupation of space with 4 m2 per faithful”.
For the historian of religions Odon Vallet, these “fundamental disagreements” between the Roman passes and the government are “uncommon”.
They are, according to him, the result of internal divisions.
“We have differences in the two camps.
There is a Catholic Church which is not unanimous on the subject, with bishops having different positions, and a State so deeply divided on the question ", deciphers this specialist in Catholicism, author of the book" The Faith Remains "( Salvator Editions).
What is certain is that the appeal of Pope Francis last month during an audience in the library of the Apostolic Palace was not heeded: he urged the faithful to respect "the prescriptions of the authorities, as well. political and health authorities ”…
"The simple trick" by Haïm Korsia
For other religions, the solution put forward by the head of government was variously appreciated.
For Abdallah Zekri, general delegate of the French Council for Muslim Worship (CFCM) who regrets hearing it "from the media", "6 m2 is enormous".
He recommended a distance of one meter between each faithful.
On the side of the Protestant Federation of France (FPF), it was considered that Matignon's proposal was "a good compromise".
“The more we talk, the better off we are.
We must find a path of balance ”, positively, for his part, Haïm Korsia, Chief Rabbi of France.
Suggested a "simple trick": "one in three chairs and one row in two, which amounts to roughly 6 m2 per person".
A solution finally adopted by the Ministry of the Interior.