The bishops of England and Wales are discussing how to proceed with the Church's liturgical life during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
The consultation came as the Church of England took the decision to suspend all services.
A spokesman for the Bishops' Conference today, 17 March, stated that, in light of the escalating Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, a consultation of the Church in England & Wales is ongoing and that further guidelines will be issued tomorrow.
The guidance will be shaped by the five Archbishops of England and Wales (Westminister, Southwark, Birmingham, Liverpool and Cardiff) in consultation with bishops and their dioceses.
The statement comes after the cancellation of a swathe of Christian events across the country, including all Church of England services, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and several national Quaker meetings. The decisions have followed a series of UK Government announcements restricting public gatherings and transport, as well as advising everyone to work from home if they are able to.
In a joint letter, Anglican Archbishops Justin Welby, of Canterbury, and John Sentamu, of York, announced it was now necessary to indefinitely suspend all public church services in the Church of England. They have expressed their hope that places of worship will remain open for personal prayer, and advised clerics to livestream services where possible.
The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) cancelled several national events planned for March and April. The nearly 500 local Quaker meetings will continue for the time being, although participants will refrain from shaking hands.
The Church of Scotland’s General Assembly, due to open on 16th May 2020, has been cancelled. The Assembly would have brought around a thousand people to Edinburgh, including Prince William. Rev Dr George Whyte, the Principal Clerk of the Church of England said, “We did not take this decision but these are exceptional times and people’s health must come first”. The General Assembly is the Church of Scotland’s highest governing body, and elects the church’s ‘Moderator’, who acts as the national representative of the church for that year.
The Tablet has set up an online collection of resources for Catholics on the Coronavirus outbreak, which can be found here.
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