Lord's Prayer Banned at Funeral Because 'Chanting' is Forbidden Under COVID-19 Laws
Mourners stopped from reciting prayer in crematorium
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Mourners at a funeral at Coychurch Crematorium, in Bridgend, Wales, were told they could not say the Lord’s Prayer because “chanting” is banned under coronavirus laws.
53-year-old Minister, Alison Davies, recalled that when mourners joined her in reciting the prayer, the chapel superintendent “wagged her finger,” telling her not more than one person could recite because it was classed as chanting.
“When I started reciting it, mourners stood up and joined in," she said.
"The family were only mumbling it quietly and were all socially distanced and wearing masks."
Ms. Davies told The Sun the chapel superintendent said "‘you can’t do that.'”
But the director of the council-run crematorium argued her staff was only following government guidelines.
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“Congregational singing” and chanting have been banned from worship in states across the US.
Singing in any indoor religious services such as churches has been banned by the State of California to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
LA County Seeks $20G Fines for Church that Defied Coronavirus Restrictions
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The government rules published October 8th said:
“Activities such as singing, chanting, shouting, and/or playing of instruments that are blown into should be specifically avoided by congregations/worshippers."
"This is because there is a possible additional risk of transmission in environments where individuals are singing or chanting as a group, and this applies even if social distancing is being observed or face coverings are used."
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The regulations state that for the same reason, “spoken responses during worship should also not be in a raised voice.”
Last week, two men were stopped from hugging their grieving elderly mother at their father’s funeral because of social distancing rules.
Despite the men being in a “support bubble” with the widow, the funeral director had interrupted the service before moving the chairs next to their mother to hold her.
Staff at The Crownhill Crematorium scolded them, saying: “You can’t move the chairs, you were told.”
