translated from Spanish: Church accuses the Government of having an “incomprehensible and unreachable” approach by prohibiting phase 2 ceremonies

Since the Episcopal Conference, they noted that the Government’s approach to the prohibition of religious ceremonies is “incomprehensible”, with the exception of funerals only during the so-called phase 2, and that it includes an exclusive quarantine for weekends. In this regard they indicated that “spiritual help” is socially relevant and allows an important part of the population to overcome moments of burden and endure difficulties such as those experienced with the pandemic. In this line they noted that “we find incomprehensible and lacking rationality the criterion used by authority in its definition of the new measures for Step 2 “transition” published today, which absolutely prohibit the attendance of faithful to religious ceremonies (except funerals). The authority is aware of the extreme precautions that we have adopted in the celebrations of faith the capacity that until yesterday were reduced to 10 people in enclosed spaces and 20 in open spaces, from Monday to Friday. It is entirely incomprehensible why we are denied a minimal meeting of a spiritual nature, while allowing the operation of various other activities that contemplate greater conglomerates and flows.” From the religious institution they also criticized that “the Government has not listened to or taken care of the cry of instances of faith, and ends up sanctioning a rule that is discriminatory and contrary to religious freedom that our country is proud of.” And so they requested “a formal dialogue table with all confessions, which allows to reach rules and provisions that do not contradict religious freedom. We hope that from this dialogue we will emerge to reconsider this measure as soon as possible, especially in the vicinity of Easter and other important commemorations for the religious creeds that we live in in Chile.”

Original source in Spanish