Rome Newsroom, Nov 27, 2020 / 13:00 pm
The French bishops' conference announced Friday that it would submit another appeal to the Council of State, calling a proposed 30-person limit on public Masses during Advent "unacceptable."
In a statement issued Nov. 27, the bishops said that they "have a duty to ensure the freedom of worship in our country" and therefore would file another "référé liberté" with the Council of State regarding the latest government coronavirus restrictions on Mass attendance.
A "référé liberté" is an urgent administrative procedure that is filed as a petition to a judge for the protection of fundamental rights, in this case, the right to freedom of worship. The Council of State both advises and judges the French government on its compliance with the law.
French Catholics have been without public Masses since Nov. 2 due to France's strict second lockdown. On Nov. 24, President Emmanuel Macron announced that public worship could resume Nov. 29 but would be limited to 30 people per church.