What seems like a blessing to the faithful turns out to be a great challenge for those responsible: celebrating worship together. Dean Göttke asks for patience.
Services have been allowed again since May 4th, also in the Dean’s Office in Kitzingen. As great as the joy of the faithful is, the challenges for those responsible are so great because there are strict requirements. In an interview, Dean Peter Göttke from Wiesentheid explains what this means: “We are still a long way away from the usual and carefree worship meetings.” It currently seems impossible “under the given conditions and conditions to celebrate services that meet people’s expectations of one another common worship would correspond “. Therefore, under the current circumstances, there will be “no public services” in the dean’s office.
Mr. Dean Göttke: Worship services are allowed and, finally, community again?
Dean Peter Göttke: Unfortunately it’s not that easy. For the Catholic services in the diocese of Würzburg, a number of conditions apply, which are specified by the ministry or the diocese and must be guaranteed and accounted for on site. It cannot be about reintroducing everything at once and pretending that nothing is! Those responsible have to deal primarily with infection control – all of this takes time.
What needs to be prepared?
Göttke: A major challenge is the implementation of an infection protection concept to be developed: minimum distances of two meters to the next place, disinfection stations for the entrances and exits, marked walking paths and distances, which is a challenge, especially in historic buildings. There, like in the supermarket, you cannot stick barrier tapes on the inventory without knowing whether the adhesive is damaging. The seats must also be marked and benches blocked off. It is also advisable to disinfect the benches without affecting the historical wooden furniture.
“It was decided not to offer public services under the current circumstances.”
Dean Peter Göttke, Wiesentheid–
How many places will there be in a church?
Göttke: It depends on the size of the church. For example, the 300-seat Wiesentheider Mauritiuskirche in Corona operation could offer around 16 seats. In general, there are only a limited number of places of worship in the dean’s office where worship services could even be possible. We have to look at that for every single church.
Who would get these places?
Göttke: This would only be possible with a reservation concept: believers would have to register by phone or e-mail before each service. In addition, everyone must be registered, including a seating plan, in order to be able to trace the contact chains in the event of corona infection.
Who would coordinate that?
Göttke: In addition to the parish offices, my pastoral colleagues and myself, trained volunteers are needed. However, many of them belong to the corona risk groups. Alternatives are also required here.
Photo: Hendrik Schmidt (dpa)
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Are you allowed to sing in the services?
Göttke: Singing together poses particularly high infection risks, so it should be largely avoided. In addition, the protection concept requires the wearing of a face mask.
That means: no entry without a mask?
Göttke: Correctly.
Will there be Holy Communion celebrations?
Göttke: No. Bishop Franz Jung made a decision on this. Therefore, for the time being there will only be word services, devotions and meditations. The maximum duration: 60 minutes.
What about pilgrimages and processions?
Göttke: Everything canceled until further notice.
How do you feel about it?
Göttke: The worst imagination for me would be a corona infection in the service. We will work out the protection concepts for the places of worship with all those responsible in the dean’s office, but I am a pastor and neither a logistician nor an infection expert. Nevertheless, as the host, I am responsible for the implementation of the protection concept. At the same time, the vote of our councils is important to me. The pastoral council of St. Benedikt met as part of the daily live stream last Wednesday. The tenor was: Under the given conditions and conditions, it seemed impossible to celebrate services that would meet people’s expectations of a common service. Masks, minimum distances, seating plans, blocked benches and assigned seating areas, as well as a very limited singing through the masks are perceived as extremely unsatisfactory. A real experience of a celebrating community does not arise under these conditions. The necessary registration process is also seen as a major problem. After intensive consultation, it was therefore unanimously decided not to offer any public services under the current circumstances. As soon as the given framework changes, the Council will look into the matter again.
What is your outlook?
Göttke: The next few weeks will be very intense and busy with hopefully a lot of creative ideas. It is an unprecedented situation and you cannot pull a previous year’s concept out of the drawer. We do not yet know where all of this will lead, but we are ready and motivated to develop new ways. Until then, however, the offers of the past few weeks, such as livestream services, display offers in the churches, offers on the homepages of the parishes and the offers of church youth work will of course continue. My special thanks go to the Münsterschwarzach Abbey, which supports us in many ways. Together you can achieve more and I am very happy about that.
Photo: Andreas Stöckinger
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