Catholic Union Deputy Director, James Somerville-Meikle, writes:
Fundamental human rights should never be taken for granted. Sadly you don’t need to look very far in the world to see where these rights are ignored or violated.
For us in Britain, it is hard to imagine life without these rights. Yet at times during the pandemic, we saw the suspension of some of those rights – including freedom of religion and worship.
The doors to our churches were locked, going to Mass was against the law, and in some cases we even saw church services stopped by the police. It was a glimmer of what life is like for Christians in other parts of the world who do not enjoy our precious freedoms.
This week, the Catholic Union has launched a new survey to give people their say on the restrictions put on places of worship during the pandemic. The results will shape our submission to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, which is currently looking at the political decisions made during the pandemic.
It is right that this inquiry hears about the impact that closing churches had on people and means that lessons can be learned for any future pandemics. With your help, we can make sure the voices of Catholics are heard loud and clear.