Places of worship will reopen for public worship from 2nd December

A statement from the Bishop of London following the Government announcement that church buildings will be able to reopen for public worship from 4th July

The Church of England has published new advice to help parish churches and cathedrals prepare to reopen their buildings for public worship after more than three months of lockdown because of the coronavirus.

The Church of England’s Mission and Public Affairs division has published advice to parishes on practical steps to reduce the risk of infection from Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Following the announcement of new ‘rule of six’ restrictions to help limit the spread of coronavirus, the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, who chairs the Church of England’s recovery group, said:

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, together with the Bishop of London, have joined national faith leaders in calling on the Government to permit public worship during the forthcoming lockdown in England. 

Clergy are being advised not to share the chalice and to encourage worshippers not to shake hands during the ‘Sign of the Peace’ in services, as part of updated guidance on coronavirus issued by the Church of England.

The House of Bishops has welcomed and commended the decision of the Government to open places of worship for public worship from 4 July at a virtual meeting held on June 24th. 

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York are calling for Church of England churches to put public worship on hold and become a “different sort of church”.

An update to Living in Love and Faith, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.