Catholic Union survey on church lockdowns during Covid

RELIGIONS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – The Catholic Union has commissioned a survey on the closure of churches during the Covid pandemic, which found that only 25 percent thought that it was necessary to close churches and other places of worship by law at the start of the pandemic.

90 per cent thought places of worship should be treated as “essential” services alongside food shops and healthcare facilities and should not be forced to close.

62 percent of those surveyed said that their physical or mental health had been affected by church closures, with one saying it was “one of the most distressing experiences of my life”.

The survey was of almost 1,000 people and its results will form part of the Catholic Union’s evidence to the Covid-19 inquiry.