Worshippers should be treated equally during the pandemic

Sep 19, 2020

AN FRANCISCO: The Archbishop of San Francisco penned an oped in the Washington Post citing the First Amendment as he called for city officials to relax the current restrictions on public worship, which are some of the strictest in the country.

Rather than asking for special treatment, “all we are seeking is to worship in our own churches, following reasonable safety protocols — the same freedoms now extended to customers of nail salons, massage services and gyms,”  Cordileone wrote in the Sept. 16 oped.

“It’s only fair, it’s only compassionate, and, unlike with these other activities, it’s what the First Amendment demands.”

San Francisco Mayor London Breed has said the city will allow indoor services up to a maximum of 25 people by Oct 1. This, Cordileone noted, is less than one per cent of the capacity of San Francisco’s cathedral.

Mayor Breed had announced this week that starting Sept 14, houses of worship may have 50 people at religious services outdoors. In addition, indoor private prayer is allowed, but only one person at a time is allowed inside a house of worship.

Previously, the limit for outdoor services had been 12 people, with all indoor services prohibited. The archdiocese covers the city and county of San Francisco — where the cathedral is located — as well as San Mateo and Marin counties.

In contrast, hotels in San Francisco are fully reopened; indoor gyms are set to reopen at 10 per cent capacity; and most retail stores are allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity, while malls are restricted to 25 per cent. Gyms operated in government buildings for police officers and other government employees have already reopened. ––CNA