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Archbishop of Canterbury warns of ‘sheer power of government’ and says coronavirus rules must be decentralised

The Archbishop of Canterbury has called on Boris Johnson’s government to stop curtailing people’s freedoms by imposing so many coronavirus restrictions from Westminster.

The Rev Justin Welby said UK ministers had “determined the daily details of our lives” over recent months in a way “few of us have experienced” – as he argued instead for more flexibility and localism.

The Church of England chief – said to be worried about the impact of the rule of six on the elderly and vulnerable in the run-up to Christmas – argued that the government must challenge its own “addiction” to centralisation.

“We are not immune to the temptation to pull more decisions into the centre, to feel that ‘something is being done’,” the archbishop wrote in The Daily Telegraph. 

“But it is a temptation that should be resisted. Often that ‘something’ might not be as effective as what could be done locally. Scotland and Wales have shown that local public health is the best qualified to

deal with local outbreaks.”

He added: “Local government, schools and voluntary agencies – including churches – can communicate well, act swiftly and measure risk and consequences on the ground.

“The new normal of living with Covid-19 will only be sustainable – or even endurable – if we challenge our addiction to centralisation and go back to an age-old principle: only do centrally what must be done centrally.”

The Telegraph quoted a source close to Rev Welby as saying he was “deeply concerned about Christmas and the impact of the rule of six on the vulnerable, the needy, the poor and the elderly”.

“He is concerned about families being kept apart and the knock-on effect that has, particularly on people who are on their own,” the church source said.

The rule of six – banning gatherings of more than six people indoors and outdoors – came into force on Monday. It is intended to simplify and strengthen the rules on social gatherings amid rising coronavirus cases.

John Apter, the Police Federation chairman, said officers were still “trying to interpret” the rules and understand exactly when penalties might be imposed. He said: “Maybe we should have guidance, because we haven’t had any yet.”

Matt Hancock said on Tuesday he was “keeping an open mind” about the possibility of relaxing the rule of six to exclude children, which would bring England into line with Wales and Scotland.

Reference: Independent: Adam Forrest 7 hrs ago: 15/09/2020

Vatican stresses importance of resuming in-person masses

The Vatican has said it was “necessary and urgent” to return to in-person masses as soon as anti-coronavirus measures permit.

The head of the Vatican’s liturgy office, Cardinal Robert Sarah, said in a letter to bishops conferences that virtual liturgies, while useful, were no replacement for the real thing.

He said physical presence by the faithful in churches was “vital, indispensable, irreplaceable”.

While some Catholic priests claimed coronavirus lockdowns that shuttered churches infringed on religious liberties, Pope Francis has adhered to Italy’s strict lockdown.

He halted all public masses at the Vatican, livestreamed his morning liturgies during the peak of Italy’s outbreak, and at one point even admonished priests who baulked at the measures for their “adolescent resistance”.

The Vatican said on Saturday that Francis had approved the cardinal’s letter to bishops’ conferences, which makes clear that government authorities cannot dictate liturgical practices.

Francis had urged the Catholic faithful to obey anti-Covid measures, saying government authorities were responsible for public health.

He was seen this week wearing a face mask for the first time, and has been using hand sanitiser.

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In recent weeks Francis has resumed public gatherings and has celebrated a handful of public masses before limited, socially distanced groups.

Reference: By Associated Press Reporter 8 hrs ago: 12/09/2020

Pope uses mask, sanitizer as he appeals for public health

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis wore a face mask and used hand sanitizer Wednesday as he appealed for the faithful to look out for the health of others as well as themselves during the coronavirus pandemic.

Francis took off the mask as his car pulled into the San Damaso courtyard inside the Apostolic Palace, where last week he resumed his weekly public audiences after a nearly six-month COVID-19 shutdown.
While chairs were spaced out in the courtyard, the limited crowd massed along the barriers as Francis passed by and some lowered their masks to call out to him.

The 83-year-old pope, who lost part of one lung to illness when he was young, loves plunging into crowds but tried to keep his distance and urged the crowd to stick to their seats to avoid contagion.

An aide squirted some hand sanitizer in Francis’ hands after he greeted the well-wishers and before he approached his cleric translators on the podium. It was the first time the pope has been seen in public wearing a mask and using hand sanitizer.

During his remarks, Francis lamented that “partisan interests” were emerging in which some nations and groups are seeking to keep vaccines for themselves, or to further their own political or economic interests.

“The coronavirus is showing us that each person’s true good is a common good and, vice versa, the common good is a true good for the person," he said. “Health, in addition to being an individual good, is also a public good. A healthy society is one that takes care of everyone’s health.”

Francis is expected to elaborate on the need for the world to seek out the common good after the pandemic in an upcoming encyclical that he will sign next month during a private visit to Assisi, birthplace of his namesake, St. Francis.

Reference: Associated Press: 4 days ago: 08/09/2020

Filipino cardinal and papal aide, Cardinal Tagle, has virus

FILE - In this Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018 file photo, Cardinal Luis Tagle smiles as he listens reporters questions during a press conference on the Synod at the Vatican. One of Pope Francis’ top collaborators and a papal contender for the next conclave, Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, has tested positive for the coronavirus, the Vatican said Friday, Sept. 11, 2020.

Tagle, who heads the Holy See’s powerful office in charge of mission territories, last saw the pope in an official audience Aug. 29. He tested negative as recently as Sept. 7 but tested positive upon his arrival Thursday in Manila, the Vatican said. (AP

ROME (AP) — One of Pope Francis’ top collaborators and a future papal contender, Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, has tested positive for the coronavirus, the Vatican said Friday.

Tagle, who heads the Holy See’s powerful office in charge of mission territories, last saw the pope during an official audience on Aug. 29. He tested negative for the virus as recently as Sept. 7 but tested positive upon his arrival Thursday in Manila, the Vatican said.

In a statement Friday, the Vatican press office said the 63-year-old cardinal doesn’t have any symptoms and is self-isolating in the Philippines. In the meantime, the Vatican is tracing Tagle's recent contacts.

Francis brought Tagle, the former archbishop of Manila, to Rome earlier this year to take over one of the biggest and most important Vatican congregations. The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples oversees the Catholic Church in Asia, Africa and other mission territories.

Francis subsequently made Tagle a cardinal-bishop, a ranking that made clear the pope’s esteem for him.

The promotions have boosted Tagle’s visibility within the church hierarchy and have given him experience working within the Holy See bureaucracy. Those two factors help make him a possible papal contender in a future conclave despite his relatively young age. Francis, 83, was 76 when he became pope

The Vatican, a small city state in the center of Rome, locked down along with the rest of Italy in early March, halting all non-essential meetings, audiences and travel. It has reported a dozen confirmed virus cases.

Francis, who lost part of a lung to illness when he was a young man, last week resumed his general audiences before a limited crowd. This week, he was seen wearing a face mask for the first time.

Reference: Associated Press: 1 day ago: 12/09/2020