The Catholic Union has declared that ‘places of worship should never be forced to close again’ after the ‘shocking’ impact of closing churches during the Covid-19 pandemic was revealed in their new survey.
The survey found that 90 percent of people thought places of worship should be treated as “essential” services, like food shops and healthcare facilities in future pandemics, meaning they would not be forced to close. Worryingly, 62 percent of people said that their physical or mental health had been affected by church closures.
One participant described church closures as “one of the most distressing experiences of my life”. Another said: “I became very depressed – it felt a part of me was missing.”
Other findings from the survey include:
· Only 25 percent of responders thought that it was necessary to close churches and other places of worship by law at the start of the pandemic.
· 93 percent of responders did not think that politicians gave enough consideration to people’s faith when making decisions during the pandemic.
· 89 percent of responders said that it was unhelpful having different legal restrictions on churches across different regions and nations of the UK.
The survey also found a resilience in Mass attendance, with less than 10 percent of people saying that they go to church less frequently or not at all since the pandemic.
Catholic Union President, Baroness Hollins, described the results as “shocking”.
“It’s clear from these results that places of worship should never be forced to close again,” said the crossbench peer.
“These results are distressing. They confirm that the lockdown of churches was not only hugely unpopular, but had a real impact on people’s wellbeing. The increase in the number of people feeling lonely or depressed as a direct consequence of the closures is particularly shocking.”
The Catholic Union survey of almost 1,000 people is the first major study of Catholic attitudes towards the closure of churches during the pandemic and the impact this had on people’s wellbeing. The survey was live from 16th October to 30th November 2023
The study puts further pressure on the Chair of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry Inquiry, Baroness Hallet, to properly consider the decisions around the closure and reopening of places of worship during the pandemic as part of the Government’s independent inquiry.
The Catholic Union will use the survey results to inform its evidence to the UK Covid Inquiry, which is currently taking evidence from senior politicians and advisers, including former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Last month, the Government Minister responsible for faith and community during the first lockdown, Lord Greenhalgh, said that the decisions to close places of worship was “outrageous” and tweeted that defending church lockdowns was a “ministerial low” for him.
Baroness Hollins criticised the Government for ‘pushing aside’ faith communities in decision-making during the pandemic.
She said: “It is vital that the Covid Inquiry properly considers the decisions to close and reopen churches during the pandemic. There is a very strong sense that faith and faith communities were pushed to one side when decisions were made, and this needs to be addressed in the learning from the Inquiry.”
Picture: Pews are taped off and social distancing markers are pictured at the Church of Mary Immaculate Refuge of Sinners during Mass in Dublin, 17th February 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. (CNS photo/Clodagh Kilcoyne, Reuters)