Services are soon permitted under certain conditions. The Evangelical Deaneries Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Freiburg and Emmendingen expect services that are “seriously different”.
After the decision of the state government to make church services possible again after May 10, the churches are now working out concepts for how these can be realized within the legal requirements. This emerges from a communication from the Protestant dean’s offices of the districts of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald and Emmendingen and Freiburg.
After a video conference with the regional bishop and the deans of the Baden State Church, Freiburg’s city dean Markus Engelhardt emphasized that it was “no” return to the usual forms of worship, which we had to do without for a long time. “And Dean Rüdiger Schulze from Emmendingen said: “As a church, we are obliged to protect against infection and understand it as an expression of respect and mutual care.” The basic principle is the limitation of the number of worshipers be.
Singing, praying or speaking out loud should not be possible
This would include a distance of two meters – except for people in one household. In each municipality, it is now necessary to clarify how the compliance with this upper limit can be ensured and a sufficient safety margin can be maintained. In addition, it would not be possible to sing, pray and speak aloud during the service, such as the Lord’s Prayer, since the risk of infection was above average. Wearing a protective mask is also recommended to all worshipers.
These services are “seriously different”, singing in particular is a fundamental part of the Protestant service, the message goes on. It is up to the elders to decide whether and how parishes will celebrate services under these circumstances. Together with the pastors, concepts would be worked out at which times church services can take place in churches.
Religious life is also possible outside the church. There is already a wide range of new formats, such as services, that are broadcast online. These new formats were widely accepted. Dean Rainer Heimburger from the church district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald said: “We need such worship formats at this time and will continue and develop them with creativity.”
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