The Good Friday church service, officiated by the Archbishop of Granada was stopped after it was discovered that there were about 20 worshippers present.

Archbishop Francisco Javier Martínez, a controversial figure given his views concerning women, was surprised to see officers from the Policía Nacional enter the cathedral and order everybody out – worshippers, that is. After this the service was allowed to continue.

He had just settled down to intoning a homily after a scripture reading when it was whispered to him that the congregation had to leave.

“We interrupt the service. The police tell us that we have to empty the church and if not those present will be fined, one by one,” he announced.

He then proceded to hurriedly to giving the host to each one of them (i.e., receive the Eucharist), asking them to leave the building immediately upon receiving it.

Normally, the Cathedral will hold a mass for a congregation of about a thousand so the numbers present (a score, more or less) were very few by comparison. It also meant that they were spread out around the pews, maintaining a distance between them.

“I’m sorry, said the Archbishop, “we did this with the best of intentions, obeying the previous decree whose Article 11 said that churches, depending on their size could have a certain amount of worshippers if they maintained a distance between them. They tell us that they have contacted our superiors and said that this is not the case and we obey the law.”

The whole service was televised through the Archbishops own channel, anyway, so there was no need for anybody to attend.

Whilst all this was going on the police were visiting other churches around the capital, causing the service to be suspended whilst the congregation was ejected.

Editorial comment: the rules are for everybody; if a family of four has to remain the better part of a month shut up in a flat around 90 sq/m… then the Archbishop of Granada can take it up with His Boss if he feels hard done by. He’s got his own TV channel on which church goers in the city can follow all the church services, so there is absolutely no need for somebody to break the Lock Down.

(News: Metropolitan Granada, Andalucia)