PM Ludovic Orban said that religious services can be held in Romania in compliance with the sanitary protection rules. His statement came after the European Commission had recommended that Christmas masses should be held online amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“You know very well that religious services in Romania can be held, of course, in compliance with the sanitary protection rules, with the provisions in force, meaning with keeping social distancing, wearing face masks, disinfection, all these measures that are not very complicated. So, masses shall be carried out,” the Romanian PM said when asked about the EC’s recommendations on the Christmas masses.
The Prime Minister said that Romanians must be convinced to observe all sanitary protection rules so that the number of the infected ones should drop.
A day ago, the European Commission has urged urged countries to reinforce their healthcare systems and coordinate restrictions on social gatherings ahead of the Christmas holiday season, to avoid a resurgence of COVID-19 cases.
As for the religious ceremonies and also masses, The EC recommended member states to “Avoid large services or use online, television or radio broadcasts, assign specific seats for neighboring families (domestic bubbles) to sit together and prohibit collective singing. The use of masks is particularly relevant during these types of meetings ”.
After the EC had announced the guidelines, the Romanian Patriarchy’s spokesperson retorted that “these recommendations cannot discretionary lead to the cancellation or to turn Christmas masses online and nobody who is honest or anchored in the deep social reality cannot want or impose that”.