Religious freedom challenges to COVID-19 restrictions have spread to Europe. EuroWeekly reports that on Friday French Catholic bishops appealed to the Council of State, the country's highest court, challenging the country's 30-person limit on religious ceremonies. According to Reuters, today the Council of State ordered the government to review the restrictions, saying:
The claimants are right in saying that the measure is disproportionate in light of protecting the public's health ... thus it is a serious and illegal infringement on the freedom of worship.
According to Reuters:
The Conference of French Bishops welcomed the ruling and said that it would meet French Prime Minister Jean Castex later on Sunday to discuss new rules to limit the risk of coronavirus infection during church services.
"No other activity is limited by such a limitation regardless of surface area," it said.
Catholic organisations are proposing to allow churches to utilise 30% of their seating capacity.
