The Gardaí (police) fined Fr. P.J. Hughes, 500 euros (NZ$830) after he offered Masses with a small number of parishioners present.

This was the second time Hughes defied the gardai's request to lock the church's doors when he celebrated Mass to prevent parishioners from attending. He ignored their first request last November and continued to leave the church open.

Despite the police action, Hughes remains adamant that people should be able to enter the church and participate in public Masses.

"I do not accept this demand by people who do not realize the wrong they are doing. It is our constitutional right to protest so long as it is peaceful; it is our constitutional right to practice our faith and assemble to pray together."

"For those who are afraid of catching the virus in the church then they have the free choice to stay at home and live their lives as they think it best to do.

"I will exercise my constitutional right even though people are complaining, even though I am not obeying my bishop when I go against his advice. We can't just reject Jesus in the Holy Eucharist."

Sources close to Hughes say he is not willing to pay the fine and is ready to be jailed rather than cease public worship.

In a parish newsletter dated March 21, Hughes wrote:

"Next Sunday marks the journey of Holy Week.

"It is hard to believe that for a second year people cannot come to take part in the ceremonies of Holy Week.

"Despite the size of the church and the holy place that it is because of the presence of Jesus in the Holy Tabernacle, the church has been deemed a hot spot for the spread of the virus by the gardaí."

Emphasising his constitutional right to celebrate public Masses and encouraging parishioners to make up their own minds, he said:

"The majority of people are healthy and able to go shopping, bring their children to school and many are working in enclosed environments.

"We are committing a grave mistake by rejecting our Lord and God Jesus Christ by staying away because government officials say we must."

This is the second time since the COVID-19 pandemic began that public Masses have been suspended in a nationwide lockdown in Ireland.

The first lockdown ran from March until June during the pandemic's first wave.

Public worship was suspended again last October and remains off-limits.

Ireland is under strict "Level 5" COVID-19 restrictions until at least April 5. The government has not revealed what COVID-19 restrictions will be in place after that.

In Northern Ireland, bishops have announced that public worship may resume from 26 March in time for Holy Week.

Ireland, a country with a population of almost five million people, has recorded a total of 230,599 cases of COVID-19 and 4,587 deaths as of 22 March.

Authorities reported 769 new cases on Sunday, the highest figure since 26 February.

Source

• Catholic News Agency
• Image: The Irish Times

Although public worship is permitted, additional safety protocols have been instigated to ensure any remaining coronavirus infection does not continue to spread.

"To receive Communion again as a family was the culmination of our every prayer and desire during the quarantine," one parishioner says.

"For the past two weeks, our children, especially our not-typically-pious three-year-old twins have been increasingly discontented with virtual Mass and were begging to ‘go to Mass and pray with Jesus.' So this date of May 18 was a long-awaited one by our family. It was a simple Mass but glorious," she said.

The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord this coming Sunday will be the first Sunday Mass with public attendance allowed in more than 75 days for parishes in Italy.

One priest, Fr. Gregory Apparcel of St Patrick's Church in Rome, says he has been working on a plan to make it safe for the public.

"We are happy to be able to have public Masses once again, though we are cautious and worried that we will all carefully follow the protocols.

"The most important aspect is to offer the Eucharist to the faithful once again, as they have been fasting for over 10 weeks now," he says.

At St. Peter's Basilica, which has been closed since 10 March, volunteers from the Order of Malta are checking people's temperature before allowing them to join the security line to get into the basilica. Markings on the ground indicate how far apart people in the line must stand from one another.

In addition, everyone going into the basilica must wear face masks. They must also wash their hands using a hand-sanitizer dispenser provided at the door.

Inside the basilica, (which was sanitized in preparation for the reopening) Eucharistic adoration, confession and Masses are once again available to the public. However, communion is distributed only in the hand.

Vatican workers are resanitising the altars and pews where Masses were celebrated with the public.

Except for the expanded space needed for the line for security checks, St. Peter's Square remained closed.

Source

• Catholic News Service
• Catholic News Agency
• Image: Global Times