MN Catholic Bishops Plan To Defy Gov. Walz's Order, Will Reopen

TWIN CITIES, MN — The Catholic Bishops of Minnesota announced Wednesday that they will go ahead with their plan to allow larger public Masses, even while Gov. Tim Walz's order related to COVID-19 limits worship services to 10 people or less.

"The Catholic Bishops of Minnesota, along with many people of faith, were disappointed in Governor Walz’s May 13 announcement that he would end the Stay-at-Home order to allow more commerce but prohibit religious gatherings of more than ten people," the bishops wrote in a statement Wednesday.

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"We have attempted to work collaboratively with the Walz Administration up to this time, seeking the guidance of the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Public Health to help us strengthen our specific safety protocols based on the statewide plan. Along with some Lutheran colleagues, we submitted a plan to the Governor on May 8 that detailed the sanitation measures we would take and proposed a cap on occupancy limited to 33 percent of building capacity."

Catholic bishops say they are now giving their parishes permission to resume public celebration of Mass starting on Tuesday, May 26.

Parishes will be required to follow "the strict protocols we have published for sanitation and social distancing and will have to limit attendance to one-third of the seating capacity of the church," according to the bishops. "No one will be obliged to attend, as the bishops of Minnesota will continue to dispense from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass."

The bishops also wrote that Catholics "have enthusiastically cooperated with the public health guidance and have been part of the solution at every turn: providing relief to struggling families, finding creative ways to minister to a suffering people, serving on the front lines of the health care crisis, and leaping forward in technology to meet the demand for spiritual comfort created by this pandemic."

Since Walz's Stay Home Order ended Monday, nonessential retailers have been allowed to open at 50 percent capacity in the state. On Wednesday, Walz announced plans to allow limited outdoor dining at restaurants and bars starting June 1.

The governor also announced that salons and barbershops will be allowed to open June 1 at 25 percent occupancy to ensure the safety of both the employees and the customers inside.

However, Walz did not discuss any plans to remove the 1o-person limit on religious services. Catholic bishops wrote that Walz's remarks Wednesday "further underscored a failure to appreciate the role of our Church and other faith groups in serving the community."

Earlier this month, Minnesota Catholic bishops released guidelines for the time when public Mass could be held again. Church officials said there is no plan to reinstate the obligation to attend Sunday Mass anytime soon, even when public Mass is able to resume.

Bernard Hebda, Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, said Catholics will be encouraged to attend Mass during the week to spread out the number of people.

But until current restrictions are lifted, few Catholics can attend Mass.

"As local leadership makes these important decisions about when to safely re-open, we ask them to be in communication with diocesan leadership about their plans," bishops wrote Wednesday. "The bishops of Minnesota are grateful that we have such excellent leadership in our parishes and we know that as we work together, we can provide for the essential sacramental life of our faithful, fulfill our duty to worship God, and do so in a way that also protects the common good of our state."

Law firm moves to suspend enforcement of Walz's Stay Safe Minnesota order

On Monday, a law firm filed a motion to suspend enforcement of Walz's Stay Safe Minnesota order as it relates to religious services. The Upper Midwest Law Center says it is unfair for retail centers to be reopened at 50 percent capacity while church services continue to be restricted to 10 people or less.

"It is clearly unconstitutional for the governor to allow people to go to the Mall of America but not Living Word Christian Center," stated Doug Seaton, president of the Upper Midwest Law Center.

Seaton believe Walz's administration is treating religious organizations as "second class citizens."

The motion is being filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, with an expedited hearing expected to be held on the motion within 10 days, according to a news release from the firm.