Catholic and Lutheran church leaders in Minnesota say state rules that only allow 10 people in a worship service are unfair.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz recently opened retail locations to serve up to 50 percent capacity, according to CBN News. However, he has capped church worship services to 10 people.
“We are extremely grateful for the constitutional guarantee of the free exercise of religion in this wonderful country,” Rev. Dr. Lucas Woodford of the Lutherans’ Missouri synod said.
“We believe that forbidding 11 people from gathering together in a church, regardless of its size, while at the same time allowing malls and other non-critical businesses to open for people to congregate fails to uphold that guarantee.”
Despite state rules, the Catholic and Lutheran church leaders said this week they will resume in-person services on May 26 and Sunday services will begin on May 31. Leadership also submitted a plan to reopen to the governor’s office in early May. They say they have not received a response.
“Today is one of mixed emotions as we make the hard decision to reopen our churches for our communities after being left behind as the governor’s office allows retail and other non-critical businesses to reopen,” Woodford said.
Eric Rassbach, of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, the group representing the religious leaders, said the churches are asking…
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