TIGHTER coronavirus regulations which have forced churches to close their doors for private prayer will be kept under review, first minister Arlene Foster has said.
The Catholic Bishop of Derry, Dr Donal McKeown, this week appealed for churches to be allowed to remain open as places of private, individual prayer.
This, he said, was among the ways that churches could offer a service to vulnerable people during a time of crisis.
Dr McKeown also contrasted how off-licences had been allowed to re-open as 'essential businesses'.
"Access to well spaced-out private devotion time in a church, particularly in the Catholic tradition, is at least as important as access to an off-licence," Dr McKeown told the Irish News.
Mrs Foster telephoned Dr McKeown after reading of his concerns.
The bishop said he had appreciated the conversation and, asked about it on BBC Radio Ulster yesterday, Mrs Foster said she felt it had been important to "reach out" to him.
The DUP leader pointed out that before the tighter coronavirus regulations had come into force last Saturday, she had said that she "didn't see any difficultly with people individually going to their place of worship to pray".
Mrs Foster said she was aware that open access to pray in a church was particularly important in the Catholic tradition.
"I didn't want people to feel they were being constrained in the worship of God," she said.
"When the regulations came, it was made clear that everything should close, including churches, to make sure that social distancing happens."
She added: "We will be keeping this under review - freedom of religion is very important in a democratic society."
