.@GovAbbott’s order being announced right now will override local ordinances, when the local ordinance is stricter and mentioned in the order. Thus, all local orders banning religious gatherings (as religious gatherings are not exempted in other orders) are no longer valid.
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I’m a very faithful Catholic. This is an absolute mistake to allow religious gatherings to continue (or restart, in the case of most of the state) and I pray @TXCatholic all maintain their current decrees suspending public attendance at Masses.
It is painful. But, @GovAbbott, you are re-opening the door to a lot more Texans being exposed.
twitter.com/FrMatthewLC/st…
Texans, if you would like to contact the Governor’s office to ask him to revise his order to not exempt religious gatherings, see gov.texas.gov/contact
Note that the website is pretty slow and unstable right now. It’ll speed back up after everyone grabs a copy of the order.
I’m getting some pushback, so wanted to outline my line of thought.
GA-08 was the previous order by @GovAbbott to limit gatherings in Texas to 10 or fewer people. GA-08 was specifically superseded so the 10-person ban is technically no longer applicable. https://t.co/1AKXlTseLI
“Essential services” as a term is defined to include religious services conducted in churches and houses of workship. So we’re talking about regular church, not like Anointing of Sick in a hospital. https://t.co/7mnCVCNzIQ
The order sounds pretty damn weak really. Texans shall “minimize” gatherings, except to obtain essential services… like church services. https://t.co/7MUVAKkeRP
There is a vague “if religious services cannot be conducted from home or through remotes services” line. But Eucharist can’t be received remotely. Nor baptism. Nor a laying of hands of a healing services, etc. https://t.co/7tosoFmJtm
There is no number of people specified in the order, so the 10-person limit was revoked without being replaced.
Any religious leader with any sense would remain closed and livestreaming services, but as it is written, there isn’t anything that would bar a church from reopening.
But, what about county and city orders?
Cities can be stricter, but not if it restricts essential services… which includes churches. https://t.co/grkm0rpEPl