It was at the time when most Catholics were at mass, Sunday morning, November 29, at 10:30 a.m., that the news from the Council of State breaking the limit imposed by the government of 30 people per mass, fell.
The Council of State gives three days to the executive to raise this gauge to 30% of the surface of the churches.
This was the request of the Catholic institution which, as an episcopal conference - a first - had seized the Council of State on this point.
Read also: Religious ceremonies: the Council of State breaks the gauge of the thirty faithful
"
No triumphalism",
immediately commented to
Figaro
Vincent Neymon, spokesman for the bishops: "
The law is restored, reason is recognized, we are happy that the judge has brought intelligence in this file.
It is also very happy for Catholics.
They will be able, even constrained by this one-third limit, to return to mass without tension
.
Finally, we are also satisfied to see that the protocol that we proposed, with a third of the faithful according to the surface of each church, was the right one from the start.
"
Many parishes did not wait for the judgment to allow, Saturday evening and Sunday, within the limit of this third of the surface, the access of the faithful, while developing a strong vigilance during the celebrations for the respect of the usual sanitary measures.
We are also satisfied to see that the protocol we proposed, with a third of the faithful depending on the size of each church, was the right one from the start.
Vincent Neymon, spokesperson for the bishops
However, the implementation of the Council of State's decision will ease the atmosphere.
According to the bishops and priests, the
measure of "
30 faithful per mass
" regardless of the surface of the church could not be respected, for the reason that they considered that they could not concretely apply this rule requested by the president of the Republic and confirmed by the Prime Minister.
A prime minister whom the president of the bishops of France, Bishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, accompanied by four other bishops, will meet Sunday evening at 6 p.m., in Matignon, according to an appointment made on Friday, before the decision of the Council of 'State.
Concern for consultation
Since the beginning of this confrontation, the Catholic Church has thus insisted on its concern for "
consultation
" with the public authority and its absolute refusal to make the Mass a political issue.
In its official press release, the bishops' conference therefore explains on Sunday morning: “
The summary judge of the Council of State ruled that this limitation was disproportionate and thus seriously and clearly illegal interference with freedom of worship.
Religious celebrations can resume without this limitation of 30 people.
These celebrations must however take place in strict compliance with the sanitary measures in force, taking into account the reception capacity of each church, as had been proposed by the Conference of Bishops of France.
The CEF considers that the law has thus been restored and the reason recognized.
However, she hopes that judicial recourse remains the exception in the dialogue with the authorities of our country.
"
To read also: Éric Zemmour: "Confinement, revealing of a deep fracture among French Catholics"
In Paris, the Archbishop, Mgr Michel Aupetit, who had also appealed to the Council of State, alongside the Conference of Bishops of France,
“is delighted that the manifestly illegal nature of the decision which had been taken by the government, in defiance of the consultation that took place
.
"
For his part, the Archbishop of Rennes, Mgr Pierre d'Ornellas, confides: “
The Council of State recognizes that freedom of worship is not a freedom like any other.
As if he recognized that the spiritual and religious dimension is a particular dimension to be respected in any society, and in this case our own ”.
Finally the association of lay people
"For the Mass"
which was very active in the defense of the freedom of worship by bringing to the President of the Republic a petition of more than 100,000 signatures asking for the restoration of worship and which had also lodged an appeal. to the Council of State, assured "
to welcome the decision of the Council of State which puts an end to the absurd, unsuitable and contemptuous gauge of 30 people to attend mass.
This decision of the Council of State punishes an inconsistent and discriminatory restriction. ”
The association "
For the Mass
" calls on the President of the Republic and his government to "
stop the contempt they have shown since the beginning of this health crisis and to consider the faith of believers for what it represents: a treasure for each and a balancing factor for society as a whole.
"
