Fr. Patrick writes…
It is rare to get a joint letter from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, but in March 2020 the clergy of the CofE received four!
On 10th March, the Archbishops wrote to us advising us to administer Holy Communion in one kind only, to avoid sharing in the common chalice.
On 16th March, the Prime Minister asked people to start working from home where possible, and to avoid pubs, clubs, theatres and other social venues. We wondered what that would mean for the churches, and on 17th March we received a letter suspending all Public Worship in the CofE. There were to be no more services in church. Churches buildings were to remain open, but only for private prayer.
On 23rd March, the Prime Minister tightened the guidance, asking people to “Stay at home” except for very limited purposes. Again, we wondered what that might mean for the churches, and on 24th March the Archbishops wrote to the clergy saying that all church buildings must be closed, not just for Public Worship, but also for private prayer.
When the detail of the official government guidance was put on-line, it became clear that that Archbishops had gone further than the government had required. The government guidance was that Places of Worship could remain open for solitary prayer and could be used in a restricted way for funerals. So then on 27th March clergy received a fourth letter from the Archbishops, reaffirming that church buildings should be fully closed so that the church is going the extra mile in encouraging people to stay at home and stay safe.
Since late March the official CofE guidance has been relatively stable. Some detail has been added, but the main thrust of the guidance – that churches should remain closed – has stayed the same.
Suddenly, lots of vicars in the CofE have been posting services online! Even real technophobes are getting into Livestreaming. I’m doing my bit, helped sometimes by my daughter Caroline who is in lockdown with me at the Rectory. I especially enjoyed the Easter Day service from the Rectory Garden, surrounded by birdsong! All online services can be found on the Lapworth and Baddesley Clinton Parish Churches Youtube Channel.
When was the last time that the churches were closed?
Someone told me that the Black Death caused London churches to be closed for a while in 1347. The Daily Telegraph reported recently that worship was stopped in 1208 when the Pope placed England under Interdict because of a row with the King over the appointment of the Archbishop of Canterbury. There may be other occasions that I am not aware of. I do know that in WW2 worship sometimes continued even when air raids were in progress!