Anger was growing since the new nationwide lockdown was announced. Churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and other places of worship were subject to the lockdown rules. A closure that infuriated Catholics that protested several times crying for the reopening of their churches.
Good news for regular churchgoers, Emmanuel Macron has announced the reopening of places of worship starting Saturday November 28. The French President also shortly explained that “as for cults, services will be allowed again and caped at 30 people”.
Then, during his press brief on November 26, Jean Castex gave further detailed and explained the gauge "will progressively evolve depending on the health situation and the December 15th-due date."
On December 2, Gérald Darmanin announced in a press release that this new gauge will be instated in places of worship. This new gauge "plans, for the organization of services, to leave one seat vacant between each believer or family and only provide one row in two". Talks are going on between the government and leaders of the different religions and will "go on for the next few days to prepare the evolutions of the lockdown measures starting December 15" Secretary of the Interior said.
During his press brief on December 10, Jean Castex announced "rules recently applied to places of worship are not to be improved" before the Holidays.
