Posted on 04/01/2020 6:10:58 PM PDT by marshmallow
ROME (CNS) -- While many churches in Italy remain open, visiting a church to pray is not a valid excuse for leaving one's home during Italy's COVID-19 lockdown, said a note from the Ministry for Internal Affairs.
Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti of Perugia, president of the Italian bishops' conference, had asked the government to clarify the lockdown rules and how they apply to the church and church services.
People who want to pray in a church may do so only if "the church is situated along one's way" to or from a government-approved reason for leaving one's home: going to the grocery store, pharmacy, doctor's office or to work when it is necessary and cannot be done from home, said the ministry's response, which was posted on its website March 28.
Law enforcement officials can stop anyone who is out in public; when they leave their houses, people are required to carry with them a "self-certification" swearing they are not under quarantine and have not tested positive for COVID-19 and stating the reason for which they are outside.
The government can fine or even jail those who lie on the form. On March 28 alone, the ministry said, police demanded the forms from more than 203,000 people and fined close to 5,000 of them. The figures do not include the number of people the police simply advised to go home.
After almost three weeks on lockdown, Roberto Speranza, Italy's minister of health, said March 29 that the country was still in the worst phase of the pandemic and people should not let their guard down. The health ministry reported that day that a total of 97,689 people in Italy had tested positive for COVID-19 since February; 10,779 people had died; and 13,030 have recovered.
The Internal Affairs ministry's Department for Civil......
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicnews.com ...
Ping!
In Sorento, on Palm Sunday a few years ago, the number of priests concelebrating mass outnumbered the congregation which included American visitors. Social separating was easy to do.
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