Bishop Robert McElroy, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, said in a statement that he was “delighted” with the court’s ruling. | Unsplash
Bishop Robert McElroy, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, said in a statement that he was “delighted” with the court’s ruling. | Unsplash
A shred of normalcy is returning for some members of the California faith community, after an early February U.S. Supreme Court ruling abolished the state's restriction on in-person indoor worship congregations.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the court found that Gov. Gavin Newsom's church service lockdowns were a violation of constitutionally protected free exercise of religion.
Kevin Eckery, vice chancellor of communications and public affairs for the Diocese of San Diego, told San Diego City Wire that he approved of the ruling, noting that it was a balance of common sense public health protections and equity in treatment for all organizations.
"[...] I think one of the things that we've made clear is that there are a lot of parishes where folks are not comfortable going indoors, and so we've left it up to the pastors to go indoors where it's appropriate and just continue outdoors as well," Eckery said. "So this is whatever fits the needs of their parish."
In a Feb. 9 post on the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) Blog, Supreme Court practitioner and attorney Tom Goldstein pointed out that this SCOTUS ruling allows in-person, indoor church services to be held even in Tier 1 districts, which are the state's highest-risk COVID-19 areas.
"I am delighted that the court has taken this judicious step that expands the options for religious worship, while recognizing equally the health imperatives that are required in this moment," Bishop Robert McElroy, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, said in a statement provided to San Diego City Wire. “Although the path out of this pandemic is now clear, it remains a deadly fact of life and will be through the summer or fall of this year. All of us need to remain vigilant, wear a mask, get vaccinated when it’s our turn and do what we need to do to protect friends, family and the vulnerable among us.”
Eckery doesn't feel one way or the other if the court should be involved in the decision-making processes for indoor services to be held. He explained that the diocese has been making its decisions based on the best public health and scientific advice out there.
"There's nothing Christian about putting friends and family at risk of infection," Eckery said.
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