The Catholic bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown has said that when Sainsbury’s supermarket starts asking people where they are from, he will do the same in churches in the North.
Responding to a question about people from the Republic attending religious services in the North when restrictions are lifted there on March 26th the Bishop told RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show that the limits of freedom have to be commensurate with the risks.
A quarter of parishes in his diocese are in Donegal, he said and had “no more concern” about people going to services in the North than he had about people crossing the border to shop in Sainsbury’s.
There was more space in churches than in supermarkets, he said.
“As soon as Sainsbury’s starts asking where people are from, I will do the same.”
Bishop McKeown said he had told parishes they were free to open up and then to make a risk assessment. But he pointed out that he was also encouraging people to stay at home. Churches would also have to practice safety measures so that “even if someone came in loaded with disease” they could not spread the virus.
People were being encouraged to gradually mark the end of lockdown by taking precautions leading into the new dawn of the future.
The Bishop also said he agreed with Pope Francis in his view that priests could not bless same-sex marriages. However, he said he did question how the church deals with different issues and that parts of the church felt that if they shouted loudest they would prevail.
The Pope was caught in the middle with shrill voices on each side. “He’s trying to find some truths.”
Bishop McKeown acknowledged that Jesus did not say anything about gay marriage, but other relationships were not marriage. “I have respect for all sorts of relationships, but homosexual marriage is not the same.” He said he would walk with the homosexual couples he knew and with whom he was friendly, but he would not bless their relationship which was not marriage as the church defined it.
The church was not a parliament, he said.
