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The closer the date gets, the more Christmas services are canceled. Individual politicians are calling for a blanket rejection. But the churches reject this, also as a lesson from the spring closure.
The Ruhr area is not exactly known as a stronghold of the Catholic Church. But a few weeks ago a queue formed in front of the monastery church in Oberhausen – parishioners were queuing to buy tickets for Christmas Eve Masses. Especially in the Corona period, many apparently feel the desire to hear the well-known words of December 24: “But it happened at that time …”. But now all assistance services in the parish have been canceled, because Oberhausen has the most new infections in all of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Like the monastery church, many congregations in Germany are currently doing it, regardless of whether they are Protestant or Catholic. You have spent weeks preparing to celebrate Christmas services complying with all hygiene rules, and now it is in vain. For example, practically no Protestant religious services will take place in all of North Rhine-Westphalia. Too dangerous, says church leadership.
There are no midnight masses in Bavaria
Bavaria, which is particularly Christian, has to renounce the evening or midnight Christmas masses: as of 9:00 p.m. in the Free State, due to the pandemic, a stricter exit restriction is applied, which the authorities call “curfew”. Only those who have a really valid reason, such as a medical emergency, are allowed to leave.
Churches are in a dilemma over the issue of face-to-face services. Because after the first crown lock in the spring, they were accused of having left their job too willingly. This would have let down believers in a time of crisis, of all places.
This accusation has hit many committed Christians hard. This is another reason why churches are determined to do better this time. But now they are faced, in reverse, with the accusation that their activities endanger the health of the population. Kids haven’t been allowed to coach on the soccer field for weeks, but should church services be acceptable? That doesn’t make sense to many.
Half of German citizens by the ban
A poll conducted by the opinion research institute YouGov on behalf of the German Press Agency showed that one in two German citizens is in favor of a ban on Christmas services in view of the high number of infections. Whether you are a believer or not matters little. According to the survey, the willingness to attend Christmas services is low: no more than six percent want to go there.
NRW Deputy Prime Minister Joachim Stamp (FDP) has asked churches to cancel all relief services throughout Germany. The “completely unpredictable development of the pandemic and the needs in intensive care units in many parts of Germany” made this inevitable.
The head of the association of doctors of the public health service, Ute Teichert, even calls for a ban: “Because we know how easily the virus can be transmitted, especially in religious services, we should not take any additional risk at Christmas given the high number of infections, “said Spark. Newspapers
A particular danger for the elderly
Even if the believers sit far apart in church and wear face masks: afterward they will surely be together in small groups for a while and will wish a “Merry Christmas”. Stamp is even afraid of hugs: at Christmas you get a little excited.
And there is another argument: especially among the elderly and therefore the most vulnerable, there should still be believers who have a guilty conscience if they do not go to church at Christmas. A rejection would make the decision for them. The Catholic Church, however, maintains that the so-called Sunday obligation to visit the trade fair was suspended at the beginning of the Corona crisis.
The churches note that the Leopoldina National Academy of Sciences has expressly praised the observance of the rules of distance and hygiene in religious services. The Academy sees no need for more restrictions at Christmas. “I believe that the hygiene concepts that have been carried out, the multiple alternatives and, above all, the appeal to the responsibility of each individual will be enough to avoid uncontrolled encounters”, says the president of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), Thomas Sternberg. , the German Press Agency.
“Nothing to feel about true creativity”
Church historian, bestselling author and Leibniz Prize winner Hubert Wolf raises the question whether the focus on church services is really up to date, especially in light of the radical changes Corona has brought about. “With some notable exceptions, there are no signs of true creativity in celebrating the ‘Silent Night’, says the professor from Münster at the” Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger “about the Catholic Church.
Despite all the deletions, there are still some alternative offers. Evangelical pastor Ulf Werner from Hamburg wants to rock his dress on his cargo bike on Christmas Eve and bring Christmas to the people. He is accompanied by members of the community choir, disguised as reindeer.
“For example, I will conduct six short devotionals in the various courtyards of a large residential complex for the elderly. Residents can participate from the balcony, so the greater distances guarantee even more security, ”he explains. In times of sadness he wants to “spread some lights of hope.” The name of the action: “Bell Bells”.
