A street prayer was held Friday evening in Paris.
The Catholic faithful who took part are asking for the possibility of organizing masses during the confinement due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
They are prohibited due to the rules currently in force in the country.
Several dozen people have settled in the forecourt of Saint-Sulpice, in the 6th arrondissement of the capital.
The slogan "Give us back mass" was taken up by the participants.
Parvis of the Saint-Sulpice church in Paris on Friday evening.
LP / Jean-Baptiste Quentin
They then began to pray in front of the church.
Some texts were recited on the knees.
Friday evening in Paris./LP/ Jean-Baptiste Quentin
These prayers are not the first since the reconfinement of France.
Last weekend, 600 people gathered in Versailles (Yvelines).
This mobilization surprised the organizers.
While they are calling for people to come forward again on Sunday, the principle will be to orient the gathering rather towards a protest demonstration instead of a street prayer.
By declaring the gathering scheduled for Sunday at the prefecture, the organizers are within their rights.
READ ALSO>
Mgr Rougé, Bishop of Nanterre: "We ardently hope that there will be masses at Christmas"
Several similar gatherings are expected this weekend in the country.
They will take place in Ile-de-France and in the other regions.
Darmanin does not rule out sending the gendarmes
Asked Friday on Franceinfo, the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, declared that “life is more important than anything”.
“And life is fighting the coronavirus.
So I don't want to send the police and gendarmes to verbalize believers in front of a church, obviously.
But if it is a repeated act and which is manifestly contrary to the laws of the Republic, I will do it ”.
Newsletter - Most of the news
Every morning, the news seen by Le Parisien
I'm registering
Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to enable you to receive our news and commercial offers.
Learn more
He recalled that “freedom of worship is very important”.
If religious services are prohibited, the minister stressed that “places of worship can continue to worship with a minister who can continue to do his office and film his office so that during the few weeks that we know d 'state of confinement, one can have a link with his religion.
Gatherings of Catholics: "I do not want to send police officers to verbalize believers in front of a church but if it is a repeated act, I will do it this weekend. There will be no more weekends. leniency ", says Gérald Darmanin pic.twitter.com/JAV8AHtD9y
- franceinfo (@franceinfo) November 13, 2020
In a message broadcast Friday evening, the Minister of the Interior developed by recalling that "the government is fully aware of the consequences" of the restrictions in "the very intimate dimension that is religious practice".
“Places of worship remain open to allow individual contemplation, while respecting barrier gestures”.
He adds that, on Monday, he will bring together “for the second time the representatives of the main cults”.
It is a question of discussing the confinement but also the resumption of the ceremonies "according to the health evolution".
He calls for respect for "the law of the Republic".
“The rules put in place by the government, however restrictive, are made to respect life and I think that believers can only understand it.
"
Practice of worship during confinement.
My message to believers ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/ajT4kpMSaV
- Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) November 13, 2020