As the government and the Catholic Church managed to reach an agreement on a new tonnage of worshipers allowed to attend religious celebrations, the European Commission on Wednesday 2 December released a document with several recommendations to "stay safe" during the season winter with the Covid-19.
Among these are a few lines on Christmas celebrations.
“
Remember to avoid major services
”, by inviting people to encourage “
online broadcasts, on television or on the radio
” and to “
prohibit singing in common
”.
Read also: Religious ceremonies: State and cults struggle to find an agreement
A proposal that was received with incomprehension and anger among European Catholics.
"Is the European Commission asking not to celebrate Masses during Christmas?"
I hope it's a fake, ”
reacted on Twitter Antonio Tajani, president of the European Parliament's Committee on Constitutional Affairs and vice-president of Forza Italia.
"I ask Ursula Von der Leyen to exclude this hypothesis which has nothing to do with the fight against COVID19".
For his part, the MEP François-Xavier Bellamy qualified, with the journalists of Christian Family, this measure "
absolute aberration
" by stressing that at the same time "
Europeans are encouraged to travel to save tourism
".
An opinion shared by Thierry Mariani, also MEP, who criticized "
this initiative which shames Europe
".
Europe in dispersed order for Christmas ceremonies
By inviting European countries to limit religious or private gatherings at the dawn of the end-of-year holidays, Europe, which records nearly 1.5 million victims of Covid-19, wants to protect itself from a third wave.
Without imposing decisions, the European executive body calls on the Member States "
not to lift restrictive measures
" in view of the "
current epidemiological context
".
Read also: Covid: are places of worship really places of contamination?
Unlike Italy, which is reluctant to lift the curfew established at 10 p.m. for the end-of-year celebrations, the French Prime Minister on Wednesday 2 December broadcast on BFMTV the possibility of relaxing the rules for Christmas with "
a protocol specific
”and“
special rules
”to“
perhaps loosen the gauge a little
”.
As for the rest of the European countries, different rules will be applied.
Read also: Resumption of worship: "The trust between Catholics and the State has been broken"
While in private Germany prohibits gatherings of more than ten people without counting children under the age of 14, religious celebrations will take place in reduced numbers.
The dioceses, however, remain free to define the size of the faithful themselves.
For example, in North Rhine-Westphalia, 250 people will be allowed in a church and 500 people outdoors, according to the head of the Catholic office of North Rhine-Westphalia, Antonius Hamers.
To read also: Pierre Manent: "A deliberate offense against the Catholic Church"
Similar measures in Spain, which recommends "
limiting gatherings to 10 people in the private setting
".
The Spanish Ministry of Health has authorized the holding of religious ceremonies for Christmas on condition that "
the rules of capacity established in each autonomous community
" are respected.
However, the health authorities stressed that it was "
advisable [...] to avoid chanting
" and to use "
pre-recorded music
" instead
.
For traditions such as midnight mass, called “
rooster mass
”, it is preferable, according to the ministry, “
to offer as alternative telematics or television services
”.
To read also: Éric Zemmour: "The confinement, revealing of a deep fracture among the French Catholics"
The French Catholic Church is content for the moment with the new gauge imposed by the government pending a possible "loosening" for the Christmas holidays.
