Coronavirus: Catholic bishops push Premier to open NSW churches

Bishops have proposed a four-stage easing of restrictions on NSW Catholic churches.

Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher, centre, leads a mass at a near-deserted St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney on April 24. Picture: AFP

Catholic bishops have proposed a four-stage reopening of NSW Catholic churches as cases of COVID-19 abate.

The proposal to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is signed by Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher and 17 others, including Archbishop of Canberra Christopher Prowse and the bishops of regional NSW.

“Re-opening churches, at first only for private prayer and confessions and with strict protocols in place, would be a significant benefit to many in the community, ­offering solace to the faithful and hope to the anxious,’’ the proposal says. “Social distancing and other ­restrictions have taken a significant psychological and spiritual toll on people.’’

The first of the four stages would exclude masses and services and be limited to private prayer and confessions, with physical distancing and the use of hand sanitiser overseen by monitors.

The second stage envisages masses and services to be held in outdoor spaces such as carparks, with the number of attendees limited. The bishops suggest “no collection plates or hymn books to be passed around; no shaking of hands or holding hands … and Holy Communion to be given and received safely’’.

Stage three, with similar provisos, would see masses and services moved indoors with stage four a “return to the (new) normal with learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic”.

At the start of his streamed mass on Sunday, Archbishop Fisher said he assumed those watching were keeping safe by downloading the COVIDSafe App.

In a social media post, Maronite bishop Tarabay said he had downloaded the App and urged his flock to do so.

The bishops also appealed to Ms Berejiklian to allow baptisms and weddings to take place in line with restrictions in place around funerals, with ministers and up to 10 people. They have also asked for the numbers of mourners at funerals and graveside services to be ­increased. “We will advise our schools, as children return to school, that any school masses or communal prayer should follow the same ­restrictions and guidelines that are in place for school assemblies,” the bishops say.

Thousands of people have urged bishops in all states to lobby for a reopening. A petition launched last week urging a ­return of the sacraments has ­attracted more than 3600 signatures.