The Abundant Life Assembly in Bank Hall was anything but full of life this weekend.
Things were quiet over at the People’s Cathedral on Bishop Court Hill.
The bell at the St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cathedral remained silent this past Sunday.
Churches stay shut on Sunday
An almost eerie quiet crept over the island on Sunday morning as churches all across Barbados remained closed for the first time in years.
As part of the island’s COVID-19 response, public gatherings, inclusive of church services, have been outlawed in a bid to stem the spread of the viral infection.
A drive around to some of the more popular places of worship in St. Michael saw closed doors greeting any who might have missed the memo, as Barbados crept out of its first night on mandatory curfew.
With it being 2020 and technology being king, worship was allowed via the web as some churches, such as Restoration Ministries International, streamed their service on their website as well as their Facebook and Instagram pages.
Speaking during this past Sunday’s Down to Brass Tacks radio show, Attorney General Dale Marshall, dealing with the situation, stated that this was a requirement for all
religions as the government sought to keep Barbados’ citizens safe during the pandemic.
“We want Barbadians to stay at home. Again, the overriding objective is to limit the spread of COVID-19. We are allowing churches to stream, and we are allowing for the purposes of churches streaming, three people to go to the sanctuary for that purpose. Because obviously there is majesty and a mystique to being within a church that you wouldn’t get if a priest or pastor was streaming from his living room. So after consultation and much representation by the religious community, we are allowing that to
happen.” he said.
There were some unconfirmed reports of prayer groups being held in rural communities and these are also not
allowed under the new ruling. (MP)