First Five: Religious communities can fight pandemic but not by gathering

kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>QmuC665@> u@CF> x?DE:EFE6k^DA2?mk^Am

kAm~FC r~'xs\`h 4C:D:D 92D 366? 6D42=2E:?8 BF:4<=J 2?5 H:E9 :E[ E96 A@E6?E:2= 4@==:D:@? H:E9 E96 u:CDE p>6?5>6?E @G6C :DDF6D :?G@=G:?8 C6=:8:@FD =:36CEJ 2?5 E96 C:89E @7 2DD6>3=J]k^Am

kAm{2DE >@?E9[ H6 E9@F89E E92E DE@AA:?8 E96 DAC625 @7 E96 G:CFD H2D 2 >2EE6C @7 H2D9:?8 @FC 92?5D E9@C@F89=J 2?5 2G@:5:?8 E@F49:?8 @FC 7246D]k^Am

kAm}@H[ H6’C6 F?23=6 E@ 2DD6>3=6 :? 8C@FAD 2?5 >2?J @7 FD 2C6 4@?7:?65 E@ @FC 9@>6D]k^Am

kAm%9C66 H66<D 28@[ !C6D:56?E %CF>A 5C62>65 @7 A24<65 49FC496D @? t2DE6C $F?52J] pE E96 E:>6[ >2?J >65:42= 6IA6CED 7@F?5 E92E @G6C=J @AE:>:DE:4 W@C 2D @?6 AFE :E[ “?@E C@@E65 :? C62=:EJ]”X }@H[ H:E9 E96 &]$] 2AAC@249:?8 cb_[___ 42D6D 2?5 E96 562E9 E@== ?62C:?8 `d[___[ :E D66>D =:<6 2? :>A@DD:3:=:EJ] ~C 2E =62DE[ :E D9@F=5]k^Am

kAmqFE 2D C646?E=J 2D E9:D A2DE $2EFC52J[ !C6D:56?E %CF>A H2D 7=@2E:?8 E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ @7 >2<:?8 2 DA64:2= 2==@H2?46 7@C 49FC496D E@ 92G6 t2DE6C D6CG:46D] w6’D ?@E E96 @?=J A@=:E:4:2? E@ 4@?E6>A=2E6 =@@D6?:?8 E96 C6:?D 7@C E96 9@=:52JD] $@FE9 r2C@=:?2 v@G] w6?CJ |4|2DE6C C646?E=J :DDF65 2 DE2J\2E\9@>6 @C56C 3FE DE:== C64@>>6?565 E92E t2DE6C D6CG:46D 4@?E:?F6] z2?D2D[ |:49:82? 2?5 }6H |6I:4@ 4FCC6?E=J 6I6>AE H@CD9:A D6CG:46D 7C@> E96:C @C56CD AC@9:3:E:?8 82E96C:?8D :? =2C86 8C@FAD]k^Am

kAm%96 724E E92E D@>6 8@G6C?>6?E @77:4:2=D E9:?< E9:D :D H@CE9 E96 C:D< C67=64ED E96 AFD9 324< H6’G6 D66? 7C@> D@>6 C6=:8:@FD =6256CD 6G6C D:?46 DE2E6 2?5 =@42= 8@G6C?>6?ED DE2CE65 AC@9:3:E:?8 =2C86 82E96C:?8D 2?5 D9FEE:?8 5@H? ?@?\6DD6?E:2= 3FD:?6DD6D[ :?4=F5:?8 49FC496D[ DJ?28@8F6D 2?5 @E96C 9@FD6D @7 H@CD9:A]k^Am

kAmu@C 6I2>A=6[ {@F:D:2?2 A2DE@C %@?J $A6== 92D 4@?E:?F65 E@ =625 :?\A6CD@? D6CG:46D[ 42==:?8 E96 4=@DFC6 @7 9:D {:76 %236C?24=6 r9FC49 C6=:8:@FD A6CD64FE:@? 2?5 BF6DE:@?:?8 H9J C6E2:=6CD H6C6 566>65 6DD6?E:2= 3FE 49FC496D ?@E]k^Am

kAm“(6 9@=5 @FC C6=:8:@FD C:89ED 562C 2?5 H6 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 2DD6>3=6 ?@ >2EE6C H92E D@>6@?6 D2JD[” $A6== D2:5 :? 2? :?E6CG:6H]k^Am

kAmqFE H9:=6 $A6== :D 7C2>:?8 E96 DE2E6’D @C56C 2D 2 G:@=2E:@? @7 9:D u:CDE p>6?5>6?E C:89ED[ E92E’D ?@E 24EF2==J E96 42D6] p=@?8 H:E9 36:?8 C@@E65 :? E96 AF3=:4’D 36DE :?E6C6DE[ :E’D 2=D@ :>A@CE2?E E@ ?@E6 E92E E96 @C56CD C6DEC:4E:?8 E96 D:K6 @7 82E96C:?8D 2?5 D9FEE:?8 5@H? ?@?\6DD6?E:2= 3FD:?6DD6D 2C6[ 2E E9:D E:>6[ E96 =62DE C6DEC:4E:G6 @AE:@?D 2G2:=23=6 E@ AC@E64E AF3=:4 962=E9]k^Am

kAmx? D9@CE[ E9:D >62?D E96J’C6 2=>@DE 46CE2:?=J 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= — 3FE 8C2?E:?8 2? 6I6>AE:@? E@ @?6 @7 E96D6 @C56CD 7@C 9@FD6D @7 H@CD9:A >2J ?@E 36]k^Am

kAm%96 u:CDE p>6?5>6?E’D tDE23=:D9>6?E r=2FD6 C6BF:C6D E92E E96 8@G6C?>6?E EC62E D64F=2C 2?5 C6=:8:@FD @C82?:K2E:@?D 6BF2==J[ H:E9@FE 72G@C:?8 @?6 @G6C E96 @E96C]k^Am

kAmpD #2496= {2D6C[ AC6D:56?E 2?5 49:67 6I64FE:G6 @77:46C @7 p>6C:42?D &?:E65 7@C $6A2C2E:@? @7 r9FC49 2?5 $E2E6[ AFE :E[ ““,(.96? 962=E9 6IA6CED 2?5 AF3=:4 @77:4:2=D 56E6C>:?6 E92E =2C86 82E96C:?8D >FDE 36 42?46==65 7@C E96 AF3=:4 8@@5[ H6 >FDE 7@==@H E96:C =625 2?5 2AA=J E96D6 8F:56=:?6D E@ D64F=2C 2?5 C6=:8:@FD 82E96C:?8D 6BF2==J] %96 r@?DE:EFE:@? ?@E @?=J A6C>:ED :E[ 3FE 56>2?5D :E] $F49 C6DEC:4E:@?D 5@ ?@E G:@=2E6 C6=:8:@FD 7C665@>j E96J 6?DFC6 C6=:8:@FD 7C665@> :D ?@E >:DFD65 :? H2JD E92E C:D< A6@A=6’D =:G6D]”k^Am

kAm%9:D H66< x 925 E96 A=62DFC6 @7 >@56C2E:?8 2 WG:CEF2=X uC665@> u@CF> A2?6= @? C6=:8:@FD 7C665@> :? E96 E:>6 @7 r~'xs\`h 2?5 5:D4FDD:?8 E96D6 :DDF6D 2?5 >@C6 H:E9 =682= 6IA6CED #:492C5 u@=E:? 2?5 |288:6 v2CC6EE[ 2E96:DE E9@F89E =6256C |2?5:D2 %9@>2D 2?5 D6>:?2CJ\EC2:?65 C6=:8:@FD =:36CEJ 25G@42E6 r92C=6D (2ED@? yC]k^Am

kAm~?6 BF6DE:@? 7C@> E96 2F5:6?46 E92E DE@@5 @FE E@ >6 H2D 7C@> 2? 2EE6?566 H9@ H@?56C65 :7 E96C6 H2D >@C6 E@ E96 4@?G6CD2E:@? E92? ;FDE C6=:8:@FD 7C665@> G6CDFD AF3=:4 962=E9] s:5 E96D6 EH@ G2=F6D 92G6 E@ 36 @? @AA@D:?8 D:56Dn (6C6?’E E96C6 E9:?8D E92E C6=:8:@FD 4@>>F?:E:6D 4@F=5 AC@24E:G6=J 5@ :? D6CG:46 @7 AF3=:4 962=E9 — DE2CE:?8 H:E9 2D<:?8 E96:C >6>36CD E@ DE2J 2E 9@>6[ @7 4@FCD6[ 3FE 8@:?8 36J@?5 E92E E@ 6?4@FC286 E96> E@ G@=F?E66C E96:C E:>6 2?5 >@?6E2CJ C6D@FC46D[ 5@?2E6 3=@@5 2?5 86?6C2==J AC@G:56 2DD:DE2?46 E@ E96 >@DE GF=?6C23=6 >6>36CD @7 @FC A@AF=2E:@?n *@F 42? 7:?5 E96 7F== H63:?2C @? E96 uC665@> u@CF>’D *@F%F36 492??6=]k^Am

kAmxE H2D 2 C6>:?56C E@ >6 @7 E96 4CF4:2= 492C:E23=6 7F?4E:@? E92E C6=:8:@FD @C82?:K2E:@?D 92G6 @7E6? D6CG65 :? 4C:D:D D:EF2E:@?D] pD q2J=@C &?:G6CD:EJ AC@76DD@CD qJC@? y@9?D@? 2?5 %9@>2D z:55 A@:?E @FE[ “(96? :E 4@>6D E@ 4@?7C@?E:?8 4@?E6>A@C2CJ D@4:2= EFC>@:=[ 4@>>F?:E:6D @7 72:E9 92G6 2=H2JD A=2J65 2? :>A@CE2?E C@=6 :? H@C<:?8 E@H2C5 D@=FE:@?D]”k^Am

kAm|2?J C6=:8:@FD @C82?:K2E:@?D 2C6 5@:?8 E9:D C:89E ?@H] {6256CD 7C@> E96 }2E:@?2= pDD@4:2E:@? @7 tG2?86=:42=D 2?5 r9C:DE:2?:EJ %@52J AF3=:D965 2 ;@:?E DE2E6>6?E C6>:?5:?8 A6@A=6 E92E “v@5 42??@E 36 4@?D:8?65 E@ 2 A=246]”k^Am

kAm%96J 25565i “xE :D @?6 E9:?8 E@ C:D< J@FC @H? =:76 :? @C56C E@ H@CD9:A E@86E96C :? A6CD@?j :E :D BF:E6 2?@E96C E@ C:D< E96 =:G6D @7 4@F?E=6DD @E96CD[ H96? D@ >2?J 49FC496D 2C6 7:?5:?8 4C62E:G6 2?5 4@>A6==:?8 H2JD E@ 42CCJ @? :? H@CD9:A 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ 7C@> 2 5:DE2?46]”k^Am

kAm%96 r9FC49 @7 y6DFD r9C:DE @7 {2EE6C s2J $2:?ED DFDA6?565 2== D6CG:46D H@C=5H:56 @? |2C49 `a W2 =:76E:>6 28@ :? E96 r~'xs\`h E:>6=:?6X] w@FD6D @7 H@CD9:A 92G6 366? AC@G:5:?8 4CF4:2= >2E6C:2= 2?5 D@4:2= DFAA@CE E@ E9@D6 H9@ DF556?=J 7:?5 E96>D6=G6D :? ?665 @7 :E]k^Am

kAmpD E96 A2?56>:4 4@?E:?F6D[ >J 9@A6 :D E92E E96D6 ?2CC2E:G6D 364@>6 >@C6 4@>>@? 2?5 DE@C:6D @7 49FC49 =6256CD C:D<:?8 E96 =:G6D @7 E96:C 4@?8C682?ED D66> =:<6 2 5:DE2?E >6>@CJ]k^Am