Bishop James has written to clergy in the Archdeaconry of Bromley and Bexley within the Diocese of Rochester this evening, Friday 8 January.
It follows the message from the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, outlining the seriousness of the situation regarding Covid-19 in the capital.
As part of his appeal, Mayor Khan has written to the Prime Minister asking for Places of Worship to be closed.
Professor Kevin Fenton, The London Regional Director for Public Health England, has tweeted that the capital is at a critical point of the pandemic, with some boroughs showing the highest figures in the country.
He says that, at present, around 800 people a day are being admitted to hospital as infections continue to rise.
Bishop James has written to clergy, in conjunction with the Bishops of London and of Southwark, in order to ensure them of his support in whatever decisons they take over public worship.
At present, over half of the parishes in the Diocese have already taken the decision to suspend in-person public worship and have dispensations in place to that effect from the Bishop.
Read the Bishop's letter here or below:
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Just three days after my last letter to you, I am writing again – this time following the Mayor or London’s statement declaring a major incident across the capital due to Covid infections being out of control. Sadly, not least following the BBC’s recent harrowing report from University College Hospital, this does not come as a great surprise. The Bishops of London and Southwark have written in similar terms to their parishes.
The Mayor has made a specific request that in-person public worship be discontinued. I understand that a number of Council Leaders across London have also written to their local places of worship, asking them to think carefully about whether they can safely open for public services.
As you know, the decision to keep places of worship open during this lockdown was made at a national level by Government. As of now, that guidance remains in place across England, but the London Council Leaders have made clear they are now making a request across London to consider voluntary closure. Professor Kevin Fenton, The London Regional Director for Public Health England, has tweeted a statement @ProfKevinFenton explaining the public health reasoning behind the declaration of the major incident.
These developments make it clear that the situation in London is very serious and we need to take this into account in decisions made at local level. There are of course a number of personal and community considerations to take into account when making decisions in each place, including undertaking a new risk assessment as circumstances change. As it happens, well over half of the parishes in our Diocese have already taken the decision to suspend in-person public worship and have dispensations in place to that effect. Please be assured that, whatever you decide to do, you will have our support.
As you respond to the emerging situation in your setting, please do not hesitate to seek advice from Archdeacon Paul, your Area Dean or the staff at Bishopscourt. Please also keep an eye on the diocesan website for guidance, including about the dispensation process. Perhaps most importantly, please pray for the well-being of people across London and for our civic and community leaders as they seek to make good decisions. And pray especially for our doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers and all others who, whether personally or professionally, are the most affected by this continuing pandemic.
With my prayers and good wishes
+James, Bishop of Rochester