The president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland on Wednesday deplored the Irish government’s “disturbing” public worship ban.
In an April 28 statement on behalf of the Scottish bishops, Bishop Hugh Gilbert criticized new regulations on public worship, approved April 12, which effectively criminalize Mass with a congregation in Ireland.
The statement marked a rare intervention by a bishops’ conference on matters in a neighboring country.
Gilbert, the bishop of Aberdeen, said: “Recent developments that penalize the celebration of Holy Mass have been disturbing not only to the Irish bishops’ conference but also to the bishops of Scotland.”
“We all recognize the need for restrictions to protect the common good of all people in a pandemic but to enact legislation that criminalizes those who gather to celebrate Holy Mass is indeed extreme and unjust.”