A group of Conservative MPs are calling for the Church of England to allow small-scale funerals in churches amid lockdown restrictions.
Churches shut down in March amid safety concerns over the spread of coronavirus, with current social distancing rules permitting funerals only at crematoriums or at the graveside.
A letter signed by 36 MPs suggests clergy should be allowed into churches to officiate services while adhering to safety procedures.
The letter, addressed to Lord Archbishops and Diocesan Bishops of the Church of England, voices concerns that ‘the wishes of the deceased and bereaved are not being fulfilled with a proper committal in the church of their wish’.
It adds that the Church should ‘consider, most intently, the pain and anguish of those families unable to have a funeral’.
Churches shut down in March amid safety concerns over the spread of coronavirus, with current social distancing rules permitting funerals only at crematoriums or at the graveside (file image)
Chris Loder, MP for West Dorset, co-signed the letter asking for the ‘wishes of the deceased and bereaved’ to be fulfilled ‘by allowing clergy back into their churches to provide funerals’
The letter from Conservatives, organised by West Dorset MP Chris Loder and signed by 36 colleagues, said: ‘The grief of bereavement is being translated to trauma in many cases, especially where it is resulting in the tragedy of direct cremation.
‘The Government guidance is clear: funerals, with proper measures in place, are permitted and indeed encouraged.’
They urged bishops to ‘consider, most intently, the pain and anguish of those families unable to have a funeral’ and allow their ‘compassion to shine through’ when considering the issue.
The Rev Dr Brendan McCarthy, the Church of England’s adviser on healthcare policy, said: ‘The death of a loved one is painful under any circumstances and the current situation has made this all the more difficult for those who have been bereaved.
‘The House of Bishops has been meeting frequently and advice is reviewed regularly and updated as circumstances allow.
‘The Church of England has consistently stated that it will always ensure that, where requested, a priest is present to conduct a funeral service, either at a crematorium or at the churchyard.
‘Any suggestion that the Church of England is responsible for ‘direct cremation’ could not be further from the truth – that is against both Government guidance and the Church’s commitment to provide pastoral care for all.
‘The advice not to conduct funeral services in church buildings – and it is advice, not instruction – was given because of concerns about parishes having capacity to conduct funerals safely, including being able to deep-clean church buildings between services.’
It comes as the daily number of coronavirus deaths in the UK reached a five-week low of 229 on May 4, but separate figures show a high number of excess deaths in England.
An EU monitoring project reported that England has had the worst excess death rate in Europe during the coronavirus pandemic.
Excess death rates show how many more people have died than would usually be expected for the time of year.
A letter signed by 36 MPs suggests clergy should be allowed into churches to officiate services while adhering to safety procedures
Jamie Livingston (centre), a 25-year-old security officer, helps to carry the coffin of his mother, care worker Janet Livingston, 60, who died of COVID-19, as it arrives at the Parkgrove Crematorium near the village of Friockheim, Scotland, May 4
This chart shows the daily number of coronavirus deaths in the UK. It reached a five-week low of 229 on May 4, but separate figures show a high number of excess deaths in England
This chart shows the excess death rate of ten European nations as calculated by EU-backed monitoring project EuroMOMO, with England in a clear lead. The figures are for Week 16, which ended April 19
The figures are seen as a clue to the number of ‘hidden’ coronavirus deaths, with official figures almost certain to be incomplete.
Many countries have seen a spike in excess deaths during the pandemic, but figures collected by EU-backed database EuroMOMO show England performing worse than Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or any other European country
EuroMOMO assigns a so-called Z-score to all the countries in its database, showing the deviation from a five-year average of deaths.
England’s Z-score peaked at 44.1, according to the monitoring project, with Spain in second place at 34.7.