Compulsory vaccination passport | Religious leaders want to see the unvaccinated again

The Interreligious Concertation Table demands that the government return to the pre-Christmas rules for the vaccine passport. Each place of worship could then decide whether it required the vaccination passport. If he did not request it, the maximum number of followers was reduced.

Mathieu Perreault
The Press

“A church is a place of welcome, it is very difficult for us to refuse people,” explains Pierre Murray, secretary of the Assembly of Bishops and member of the Interreligious Concertation Table. “Before Christmas, the majority of churches had masses where we welcomed more people, with the vaccination passport, and masses where the vaccination passport was not required, but where we had fewer people. »

Imam Hassan Guillet, also a member of the Table, points out that the mosques also had certain services without a vaccination passport, and others with a passport. “In some mosques, we also had several rooms, some were reserved for prayers without a vaccination passport. It is very difficult for our people, who are all volunteers, to refuse people. It is hoped that there will no longer be any question of the vaccine passport at all for places of worship for the start of Ramadan in April. We’ve been doing two Ramadans with little or no prayers at the mosque, we’re adapting, but it’s not ideal. Our faithful are beginning to have mental health problems and need to pray. We consider ourselves to be an essential service like grocery stores or hardware stores. »

“Above the Quebec average”

Rabbi Reuben Poupko, representative of the Council of Rabbis of Montreal at the Table, points out that in his synagogue, the vaccination rate was so high that the vaccination passport was required for all services. “On our side, the problem was to use a telephone on the Sabbath, so we had to have printed copies or send the proof in advance,” says Rabbi Poupko. I cannot say for the other synagogues. »

Samuel Herzog, of the Council of Hasidic Jews of Quebec, also a participant in the Table, affirms that in Hasidic synagogues, the vaccination rate is “higher than the Quebec average” and therefore that the vaccination passport is also required for all services.

“We have to make a compromise”

Last week, the Assembly of Bishops regretted the obligation of the vaccination passport in places of worship and demanded that it be temporary, without asking for a return to the rules of December. Why have a more pressing demand now? “There are several of us at the Table, some are more opposed to the vaccine passport than us, others less,” said Ms.^gr Murray. We have to make a compromise. »

The vaccination passport may not be required by a place of worship during funerals. This is the only exception provided by the government. Up to 50 people can gather without a vaccination passport at a funeral, while the number rises to 250, still with a limit of 50% of the capacity of the place of worship, when the vaccination passport is required.