During a segment with CNN on Christmas Eve, Father Edward Beck declared "the unvaccinated" should not be allowed to attend church services.
"Their is no supply chain shortage of love and compassion. I think that what we're trying to say to people is they you have a social responsibility if you do gather, you know Christian churches many are gathering this evening and some are still not requiring vaccination, which I disagree with," Beck said. "I think part of caring for one another, the dictum of Jesus who we celebrate his birthday, is love one another. Show compassion. Show mercy to each other. So I think the lesson is that if we want to act like Jesus in these kind of times we take care of each other and if we're going to gather in celebration we have to do so safely, comfortably and we have to give to one another that gift of peace and part of that is health and feeling like we're gathering in a healthy environment."
"I don't think there's a reason to say I'm not going to get vaccinated, maybe for a health reason, then you can't come to church," he continued, failing to mention vaccinated individuals also spread Wuhan coronavirus.
Yep. I said it. I don’t think unvaccinated people should be gathering in churches for Christmas Eve / Day Masses. “Love thy neighbor,” says the Savior. ?@EricaRHill? ?@jimsciutto? ?@NewDay? @cnn pic.twitter.com/3iCghHpV4I
— Father Edward Beck (@FrEdwardBeck) December 24, 2021
Meanwhile a pastor in England took a different approach earlier this week.
"I spent two days last week batting off emails about whether we should close the church, cancel services and all the rest of it and I just wanted to speak to you from my heart," Pastor William Pearson-Gee said. "We are not a cinema. We are not The O2 arena. We are not a football match. We are not going to play by those rules. We are a family of brothers and sisters in Christ who come together on a Sunday to worship the living Jesus Christ. Not a football match. Not a film. Nothing like that. I am not going to close our services until I am ordered by law to do so and even if that happens it will be screaming and kicking because we're not an entertainment venue. We are here to worship a God who is suffering over all of this mess, over all of the ineptitude that the government can throw at us."
"It is all more important to gather together as brothers an sisters to worship God," he continued.
It needed to be said. pic.twitter.com/bzOPJE7Mr5
— William Pearson-Gee (@willpg) December 19, 2021
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