The Ford government is either being led by a confused clown or a totally inept politician.
Ford keeps demonstrating incredible confusion and mental chaos. Rules change, regulations are modified regularly as if it doesn’t have a clue of what it is doing.
St. Michael’s Cathedral is not allowed controlled worshippers within its walls yet liquor stores and big-ticket stores like Walmart, Home Depot and the like can have patrons with very loose restrictions.
Cardinal Tom Collins has put it very succinctly when he writes:
“a movie scout contacted one of our churches to inquire whether the basement hall could be used to feed a crew of 50 people. “We have dispensation from the province and strict protocols will be enforced.” Later in the week, the priest presided at a funeral in the same church, limited to 10 people inside (including himself).
Which of these do we consider more essential?”
Read Cardinal Collins’ full text and consider whether or not you can support a provincial government that feels big business and LCBO’s are worthy of looser COVID restrictions than churches.
Click COLLINS
Archbishop slams church restrictions
COVID rules allow more people inside liquor store than can attend a funeral
WENDY GILLIS
STAFF REPORTER
As Toronto and Peel are set to enter the “grey zone,” the Archbishop of Toronto is speaking out against continued limits on religious gatherings and what he calls “the growing inequities facing our faith communities.”
As of12:01 a.m. Monday, strict stay-at-home orders lift in Toronto and Peel Region, a move that will allow all retailers, including malls, to reopen with a 25-per-cent capacity restriction.
The new phase also allows slightly larger gatherings such as weddings and funerals, increasing from five to10 people for indoor ceremonies, although regular indoor services are still not permitted.
But in a letter sent to parishioners Friday, Cardinal Thomas Collins said the new reopening plan unfairly caps religious gatherings regardless of church capacity, maintaining a hard limit of 10 worshippers “whether they seat 100 or 1000 people.”
That means that a funeral happening in downtown’s Saint Michael’s Cathedral next weekend must be capped at 10 people “while around the corner dozens can enter the local liquor store” or stream into the Eaton Centre, Collins wrote, noting the arrangement “makes no sense.” the cathedral has a capacity for 1500 people.
“I do not believe that our elected officials and medical officers of health consciously intend to suppress religious freedom; I realize that they are in an extremely difficult position. We do, however, ask to be treated equitably,” Collins wrote.
“In recent days, it is becoming more difficult to believe that is happening,” he said.
A spokesman for the province did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.
Collin’s letter included an anecdote about a recent request from a movie scout, asking if the basement Hall of a church could be used to feed a crew of 50 people and noting the province had given the green light. Meanwhile, later that week “the priest presided at a funeral in the same church, limited to 10 people inside (including himself).”
“Which of these do we consider more essential?” Collins asked.
Stressing that the pandemic is ongoing and “we must be prudent in our actions,” Collins is nonetheless calling for parishioners to contact their local MPPs to request that restrictions on places of worship “use a percentage of capacity as opposed to an arbitrary number.”
The limited reopening of retailers is just one change coming into effect in Toronto and Peel Region Monday.
Outdoor ski and snow sports can resume, with some conditions, and outdoor, distance gathering limits have increased from 5 to 10 people. Libraries can open for computer use and contactless pickup only.
Restaurants remain closed, with only takeout and delivery. Personal services such as hair salons are still not permitted.
With files from Jennifer Pagliaro
