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A cleric continues to allow parishioners to physically attend weekly religious services even though Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions make it illegal.
Under the restrictions, all religious services must move online or be streamed.
The senior religious official offers a 90-minute service at his home located in the southeast, as he fears for the “psychological health, isolation and loneliness” of his congregation.
Church life for these people “is about weekly Bible studies, home groups and prayer meetings that have been suspended, resulting in their lives being taken from them,” he added.
He said that not everyone in his area of influence knows about the “underground” service, but those who are can also see it on Zoom or Facebook.
Physical attendance at all services held by many religious denominations continues to be prohibited at levels five and three.
Taoiseach Micháel Martin and the four Catholic archbishops in Ireland met three weeks ago after they asked the government to reconsider the Covid-19 restrictions on allowing physical attendance at any type of religious services.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio’s News at One on Friday, the Taoiseach said he anticipates that “the churches will be open on Christmas week … we will make decisions towards the end of the month. We can see level 3 with modifications and that could also apply to worship. “
The cleric, who does not want to be identified for fear of upsetting his congregation or that attendees get in trouble with authorities, said he is not afraid of being prosecuted, warned or arrested by the gardaí if they find out about his weekly service.
“I really have people in my Church with mental health conditions and I know I have a responsibility to them because they depend on a weekly service to help them.
“There is a couple, where the man has psychosis and his wife has bipolar and they thrive on social interaction in the Church community. I cannot in good conscience leave them.
“Another man who lives alone called me on the phone and begged me to perform my weekly service after our place of worship closed due to restrictions because he has difficulty using modern technology and therefore cannot watch online.
“He told me that he didn’t think it would make it until December. And by that I mean he was contemplating taking his own life. Every person has spiritual and emotional needs and I can’t turn my back on them.”
The man, who has served various communities for more than 20 years, did not hold any services during the first lockdown and made sure his congregation adhered to all the rules of physical distancing and extreme precautions when the Church reopened for the summer.
“I even used a larger building when services were allowed to return during the summer months, which meant there was a lot of space between attendees. Because of what I saw and by that I mean how people suffered in the confinement, I just couldn’t allow that to happen again. ”
He revealed that those who attend the weekly service are of all ages, including children, who do not wear masks but those who attend do not hug or shake hands.
He said that if churches or places of religious worship are not allowed to open soon, there will be more “clandestine” places.
Anyone who attends can also wear masks if they feel more comfortable doing so.
“The restrictions are making people feel like criminals for wanting to attend services and they are discouraging and disappointing because they are so confusing for so many people,” the religious official said.
“I am very afraid for people and how they manage. By not allowing people to attend any religious or religious services, I sincerely believe that you are contributing to additional mental health problems, but the government does not seem interested in these difficulties as there seems to be a total lack of communication.
“No person who wants to go to church is going to set out to cause problems and ignore the protocols of physical distance and sanitation. We are not going to go crazy as all precautions have been taken, are being taken and will be taken. This will take years for all types of religious services and churches to recover from these closures due to restrictions. ”
Ireland is the only country in Europe that does not allow parishioners to physically attend Catholic ceremonies or other religious denominations.
A mother of three attending the illegal service, in the congregation of the older religious leader, added: “We have all had to commit a lot this year, we have given up much of our individual freedom for the common good.
“The government made the churches close and made it illegal for me to practice my faith publicly, that won’t stop me, nothing will stop me.”
Christian leaders from Protestant, Pentecostal and New churches across the country have called for public worship to be allowed during the restrictions.
A petition urging the government to reconsider banning the public from attending any place of religious worship has received more than 2,000 signatures.
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