Does the government want to appease believers?
Worship with the public will be able to resume from December 1 if the epidemiological situation allows it and on condition of respecting a strict sanitary protocol, in any case said two religious leaders, after a video-conference with Jean Castex.
"The Prime Minister said he was ready to consider a relaxation of the (current) regime from December 1, subject" to adopt by then a "strict sanitary protocol" in places of worship, and "under reserve that the epidemiological situation improves ”, declared Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, president of the Conference of the bishops of France.
For its part, the Protestant Federation of France specified that the new protocol would be proposed by the Minister of the Interior "within eight to ten days".
This meeting was held after several demonstrations of believers in front of churches in France, last weekend, demanding the return of access to public masses.
Currently, it is no longer possible to gather in churches, synagogues, mosques and other temples.
All these “establishments of worship” are admittedly authorized to remain open.
But "any gathering or meeting within them is prohibited with the exception of funeral ceremonies up to a limit of 30 people", specifies article 47 of the decree of October 29, which sets the rules for the new confinement.
The faithful therefore have the right to recharge their batteries but cannot attend a service which must take place behind closed doors.