The bishops of England and Wales have said that Catholics should return to Mass in person at Pentecost.
In a resolution issued after their plenary meeting in Cardiff last week, they said that “the reasons which have prevented Catholics from attending Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation no longer apply”.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, confirmed at a press conference on Monday that this restored the expectation of attendance as existed before the coronavirus pandemic, from Pentecost on 5 June.
As a result of the pandemic, the bishops had recognised impediments to observance of the Sunday obligation and allowed Catholics to fulfil it in other ways, such as by viewing Mass online. This no longer applies: “Virtual viewing of Mass online does not fulfil the Sunday obligation,” the resolution states.
It adds: “We understand there will still be some members of our congregations who, for reasons of health, do not feel safe enough to return to Mass. It has always been the understanding of the Church that when the freedom of any Catholic to attend Mass in person is impeded for a serious reason, because of situation such as ill health, care for the sick or legitimate fear, this is not a breach of the Sunday obligation.”
In the other resolution from the conference, passed unanimously, the bishops made a six-point appeal for the better treatment of asylum seekers, “based on the fundamental principle of the dignity of every person, created in the image and likeness of God”.
They said that the government’s Nationality and Borders Act fails to recognise this: “We keep in mind that there is no illegal asylum seeker; to claim asylum is a human right.”
Cardinal Nichols observed that the government’s policies were out of step with public opinion on refugees. “There is a mismatch between the willingness of our people and the practice of our systems,” he said.
He detailed other topics addressed at the meeting, including the war in Ukraine and the cost of living crisis. The bishops also discussed the forthcoming visit to the UK of the relics of St Bernadette as a stimulus to the return of Lourdes pilgrimages.
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