A holds a sign that says “We need Mass” at Versailles on November 15.
Photograph: Martin Bureau / AFP / Getty Images
A holds a sign that says “We need Mass” at Versailles on November 15.
Photograph: Martin Bureau / AFP / Getty Images
Photograph: Martin Bureau / AFP / Getty Images
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Paris (AP) – With banners saying “Oremos” and “We need mass,” Catholic protesters organized demonstrations across France on Sunday to call for the government to take steps to block the virus and allow devoted services.
In western Nantes, many other people piled up in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary, some kneeling on the rain-soaked sidewalk, according to local television channel France Bleu. Similar gatherings have been reported or planned in the eastern city of Strasbourg, in Bordeaux to the southwest, and in the open air at the Saint-Louis Cathedral in Versailles.
Devout Catholics sang hymns and protested for hours on Friday at the historic church of Saint-Sulpice on the left bank of Paris, a similar demonstration; however, Paris police said the demonstration did not respect social distance and violated an order banning praying in the streets, so they banned a similar rally scheduled for Sunday.
With more cases of viruses shown than in any other European country, France, predominantly Roman Catholic, banned masses and other devotees in November as a component of measures to block national components aimed at containing infections and alleviating tension in hospitals. Churches and other devout sites remain open to people. visitors to come and pray.
The vicar general of the Archdiocese of Paris, Benoist de Sinety, suggested to the faithful respect the rules, saying on BFM tv on Sunday that such manifestations “are not useful”. However, he called Mass a “vital necessity” and called it a kind of “suffering of not being there. “
While France sees signs that the existing outbreak could succeed at its peak, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin called on believers to take a look at online facilities and avoid public meetings during closing. Monday to talk about how the government will likely reopen the facility, adding under pressure to authorize in-person Christmas celebrations.
One of the first groups of viruses in France was attributed to an evangelical devotee he collected near Strasbourg in February. The resulting outbreak in the region temporarily hit hospitals, forcing France to send patients to neighbouring Germany and Switzerland to heal them and prompting the French army to build its first safe hospital in peacetime to alleviate saturated facilities.
To date, France has reported 44,246 virus-like deaths and today, patients with COVID-19 occupy 96% of the capacity of the country’s extensive care units.