Archbishop of Barcelona says Church faces ‘discriminatory’ treatment on anti-COVID measures

The Basilica of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona is allowed to let in more than a thousand tourists at a time, but for a Mass no more than ten worshipers are permitted inside.

Cardinal Juan José Omella, the city’s archbishop, says such a "double standard" is unacceptable.

And this past Sunday, the 74-year-old cardinal said that "in the next few days, appropriate legal actions" would be taken against the Catalan authorities to put an end to this "discriminatory" treatment.

The pandemic has flared up again in Catalonia where nearly half of all Spain’s new cases of infection are located. As a result, regional authorities have issued two new series of restrictions just in the last 15 days.

In addition to the closure of cinemas, theaters and discotheques, religious services have been limited to the presence of ten worshipers.

However, bars, restaurants and tourist buildings are allowed to receive customers up to 50% of their capacity.

"We will take appropriate legal action"

Cardinal Omella, who was appointed archbishop of Barcelona in 2015, said it is "unjust" to treat cultural and religious activities differently.

He pointed specifically to the Sagrada Família, one of the most visited places in the city, as a prime example of such injustice.

The tipping point was when Catalan authorities asked him to cancel a Mass scheduled to be held in the basilica this past Sunday in honor of those who have died from COVID-19.

The city’s mayor announced just two hours before the start of the liturgy that she would not be attending "in order to comply with the new health measures".

Despite the insistence of the regional authorities, Cardinal Omella celebrated the Mass as planned along with a few dozen people.

"Even if the 500 people who had been invited to the ceremony had been present, this would have represented 23% of the capacity of the basilica," he said.

He pointed out that that would still have many fewer people than the number of tourists allowed in.

"The limitation of 10 people for religious services is a provision that we believe is unfair and discriminatory, given that we have been very careful and respectful in maintaining the sanitary standards required for enclosed spaces and, above all, given the fact that for other smaller interior spaces, this regional regulation allows a capacity of 50%," the cardinal argued.

"In the next few days we will take the appropriate legal actions," the archdiocese declared on Sunday.

Despite the strong tone of his statement, Cardinal Omella gave a homily at the Mass with more conciliatory tones.

"This is not the time to confront each other, but to reach out a helping hand, to fight together for the common good, especially for those who suffer most," he said.

New coronavirus cases nearly tripled last week in Barcelona, going from 300 to 800. The authorities have urged the 4 million people who live in the metropolitan area to voluntarily "stay at home", warning that if they did not there would be another mandatory lockdown.