Are gatherings in religious buildings banned?

[RonnieBarkingMad]

I don’t mind mean for weddings or other celebrations, but routine things such as Sunday worship in churches, Friday prayers in mosques, gatherings in synagogues etc or are they protected under the EA? And if they are, is that defeating the point?

[RonnieBarkingMad]

The first words should have been “I don’t mean” not “I don’t mind”

[DioneTheDiabolist]

I dont know about "banned", but there are no masses, weddings or christenings here. There aren't even funerals anymore. Just prayers by the graveside.

[ValiaH]

Yes, in the UK all religious gatherings are banned under the social distancing anf lockdown rules. However many churches are 'meeting' digitally via Zoom or streaming services online, either from churches where the vicar/ pastor lives on site or from church leaders homes.

[GreenTulips]

They should all be closed
Sunday services are being streamed in some areas
There’s talk of ‘underground’ worship causing major issues of large gathering

[LilacTree1]

Yes.

[isittheholidaysyet]

Yes they are banned.

But the Catholic and Anglicans stopped them before they were banned.

Not sure about others.

[AnnieOH1]

Some churches such as my own you may see are "open" when in fact it is the blood service or food projects operating from the building. As far as actual church services go none should be happening. I believe some groups are allowing the pastor to give an online or video sermon from their usual pulpits. Others are solely online meetings via Zoom etc.

[LilacTree1]

I saw this earlier....it seems ridiculous but I don’t know if it’s true or not.

twitter.com/WalkerMarcus/status/1247506045678870528

[SpeedwellBlue]

Did anyone see this video of this woman explaining why she's still going to church? edition.cnn.com/videos/us/2020/04/04/ohio-church-service-covid-19-pandemic-tuchman-pkg-ac360-vpx.cnn

[zsazsajuju]

Yes.

[POP7777777]

All gatherings are banned.

[H1978]

All mosques in our area closed for all prayer not just Friday and no church gatherings either

[AmelieTaylor]

No. The virus has signed an agreement not to spread in religious settings.

How much clearer can the Govt be??

Why do you think religious meetings would be exempt?

[Nquartz]

I read a post on the 'if you live in another country' thread from someone where people were still going to church because the virus was the devil's work & won't go into a church

[TowerRingInferno]

Church of England’s position

Closed except for vital community services.
I’m a key holder at our church and we’ve been told that we’re not allowed to go into the church for any reason at all, even to just check things are alright.

[Shitsgettingcrazy]

The Pope stopped doing the sunday service from the balcony ages ago and streams it, I think.

I saw on the nees this morning that police in Israel are having problems keeping the orthodox jewish community from meeting. In groups rather than still attending synagogue. Lots are being arrested and its causing unrest. With it becoming the OJ vs police. They were talking about it causing unrest for years to come.

One man interviewed did say he wasnt going to continue as he believed abandoning their culture and religious practices would leave him unprotected.

Heads of religions can only do so much. If their followers, of any religion, still choose to meet up in groups. Theres not much they can do about it.

[iVampire]

Yes, all congregations (for every faith and denomination) have been banned for a few weeks now. All weddings (including civil ones and civil partnerships) have been suspended

Funerals are still permitted, maximum 10 people

Individual ministry, where it can be carried out without breaking social distancing rules, can still happen, as can anything online

I assume that convents and monasteries might have different rules for their permanent residents (because shared facility might mean they ‘count’ as a household)

[isittheholidaysyet]

I assume that convents and monasteries might have different rules for their permanent residents (because shared facility might mean they ‘count’ as a household)

Yes, remember, in the Catholic church (and Anglicans?) we have communities of people who live together as one household.

So that obviously includes monks and nuns and similar. (Also many convents have a resident priest who lives on the site, often an elderly priest who is looked after by the nuns in return for doing all their Masses and services)

But we also have communities of lay (normal) people who may or may not have a priest as part of their community.
Retreat houses often have live-in staff.
(These may also have kids)

The priests at a cathedral often live together.
And a bishop often lives with priests who are on his staff.
There are still some Catholic nursing homes (usually nun-led) with a resident priest.

Many of our live streamed services are coming from these kinds of places, because its easier to film a service if you can have someone else dealing with the tech.
So, it may look like these people are breaking the rules, but they are not as they are all one household.

Also these places will all have their own chapel or church as part of their buildings.
Most Catholic priests live on the site of one of their churches.