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Let’s not take unnecessary risks
Corona keeps our country in suspense for about 300 days. We all long for normality, especially at Christmas. Even for submarine Christians who only show up to church once a year, this means that the traditional church service on Christmas Eve is a must.
But does it really have to be this way? No. Not now, not this year, not amid the height of the corona pandemic, which has already claimed more than 22,000 deaths in Germany today.
Sure, many priests, presbyters and parish councils racked their brains for months on hygiene concepts. And yes, of course there is a fundamental right to religious freedom, which for many people includes going to church, and we are not allowed to throw anything overboard.
However: even if distances can be maintained in most churches, nowhere can you prevent groups of people from forming before entry, believers meeting on the way to and from church. It’s not just when the mask slips that the service becomes a high-profile event.
Therefore, it would only be consistent in the sense of strict lockdown to cancel all face-to-face events in churches this year and instead rely on television, radio, or online services.
Even if the overstuffed sofa in the warm living room isn’t the same as the hard, drafty wooden church bench: no one would be prevented from listening to the Christmas story, praying and even singing. However, there is no unnecessary risk that the number of infections will skyrocket two weeks after Christmas.
