As church leaders in Milwaukee make plans to restart some limited in-person services, city health officials are holding firm on their restrictions on religious gatherings, saying they pose a major health risk.
At the center of the brewing conflict is the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, which covers 10 counties across southeast Wisconsin and said this week it is moving forward with plans to begin Masses at 25% capacity on May 31 at all its nearly 200 parishes.
That includes churches in the city of Milwaukee, where gatherings of more than 10 people are still banned.
Mayor Tom Barrett said in a Friday morning news conference that the city is “not looking for a confrontation” and that he understands the importance of religious services to many. As of Friday, the city health department said it planned to reiterate the 10-person restrictionto faith organizations.
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“We want to work with the churches on this,” Barrett said. “I want people to go to church. But we want them to be safe.”
Compounding the confusion, President Donald Trump said Friday afternoon his administration will deem churches and other places of worship "essential" during the coronavirus pandemic and called on governors to reopen places of worship over the Memorial Day weekend.
"In America, we need more prayer, not less," Trump said during brief remarks at the White House.
Here are answers to some of the major questions surrounding religious services —based on what we know now.
Is my house of worship allowed to holdin-person services?
If your church is in Milwaukee, gatherings of no more than 10 people are allowed. That's comparable to what was allowed under Gov. Tony Evers' now-blocked stay-at-home order.
If you attend a Catholic church within the 10-county Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Archbishop Jerome Listecki has directed Masses to restart no sooner than Sunday, May 31. The archdiocese has implemented a series of sanitizing and social-distancing measures.
Under Milwaukee’s stay-at-home order, which does not have an end date, Catholic Masses in the city with more than 10 people would not be allowed.
Suburban municipalities largely let their stay-at-home orders expire this week. Where there are no restrictionsin place, church services can be as big as church leaders allow—though many municipalities still have guidelines, or suggestions, for limits on gatherings.
Check with your church for its rules. Many plan to stay closed and continue virtual services for now. And churches that are part of a broader organization may be following guidelines set by national leaders.
How will President Trump’s Friday pledge to reopen houses of worship impact local churches?
Trump said Friday he would override governors who resist reopening houses of worship. But his authority to do that is unclear at best:State and local officials have been deciding which businesses are essential and what gathering guidelines must be followed. What's more, in many states stay-at-home orders have been relaxed or lifted.
Even in Milwaukee, churches technically are allowed to be open, albeit at the 10 or fewer capacity.
What do local faith leaders and city officials say about reopening?
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee said this week it is moving forward with plans to start services despite the city’s order remaining in effect.
The archdiocese consulted with Evers’ office to create the plan to return, even before the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned the state order, spokeswoman Amy Grau said. And the 25% capacity guideline is in line with the city of Milwaukee’srules for other essential businesses, she said.
Instead of a patchwork of different plans for each municipality, Grau said the archdiocese wanted the same Mass rollout across the board:“Something different about us is —with 193 parishes and 10 counties —this is beyond Milwaukee.”
Milwaukee Health Commissioner Jeannette Kowalik on Friday said the health department would speak with local faith leaders about the reopening plans. It was unclear what message exactly would be communicated.
Officials did not respond torequests for clarification. Grau said ameeting with health department and archdiocese staff was scheduled for Tuesday.
“If there’s plans that were set before this (new city order) came out, there’s a need for alignment and some calibration,” Kowalik said. “We’re doing this to save lives and to protect our community.”
As the response to the coronavirus pandemic changes by the day, uncertainty over the city’s next steps looms. But Barrett said he believes city and faith leaders can come to an agreement in the coming days.
“I think there’s time between now and the end of the month to have those conversations,” he said. “Because I think you’ve got people on both sides who are operating out of goodwill and really do have public health as their overriding concern.”
Some religious groups do not plan to restartexpanded in-personservices immediately. The Milwaukee Jewish Federation has convened a task force to plan the reopening of synagogues and other Jewish community institutions, and rabbis continue to observe the 10-person limit for funerals and other religious services.
And while the Islamic Society of Milwaukee is hosting a drive-thruEidal-Fitr celebration this Sunday, leaders are planning a phased approach for a return to in-person prayers in mid-June.
What protections has the Archdiocese of Milwaukee put in place?
The archdiocese has three phases of its “Catholic Comeback” reopening plan. The first phase will begin May 31.
In that phase, Mass attendance will be limited to 25% of the church's occupancy permit. The archdiocese recommends churches assign parishioners to a certain Mass time, either by last name or a sign-up system, to control attendance.
Every other pew is to be cordoned off, and it's preferred that attendees use only every third pew. Everyone must maintain a distance of 6 feet from those not in their household, and the floor will be marked for the Communion receiving line.
The dispensation of weekly Mass obligation runs through July 5. That means Mass attendance until then is optional, and public Masses will only be held on Saturday evenings and Sundays.
The archdiocese also laid out detailed directives for the distribution of Communion, including that parishioners can only receive wafers in their hands.
Other points of contact within a Mass have been addressed as well. The Sign of Peace will not take place; collection baskets should not be passed from person to person; bulletins will not be handed out; hymnals will be removed from pews.
And the archdiocese is trying to keep away those who might be sick. Signs will be posted on the church doors asking anyone with a fever or flu-like symptoms not to enter the church. It is also requiring clergy over age 65 with preexisting conditions to get permission from Listecki to celebrate public Masses.
See the full list of rules here, as well as a chart spelling out the three phases here.
On Friday, the archdiocese released a video demonstrating the safety measures.
Check with your own house of worship about any social-distancing rules it has implemented.
What will happen if a church holds an in-person service in violation of the city’s order?
The answer to this question is unclear. The city’s order can be enforced by the health department or the police department with a range of measures, from education and informal processes on one end to arrest or pursuit of criminal charges on the other.
A $500 fine for violation of the ordinance is also possible.
Asked how, if at all, the Milwaukee Police Department would enforce the order against churches that hold services, spokeswoman Sgt. Sheronda Grant provided the following statement:
“At this time, we are still working with the City Attorney’s Office and the Milwaukee Health Department for enforcement. We will continue to educate our community regarding the importance of taking precautionary measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19.”
In West Bend last month, police shut down a Lutheran service of 18 people who were in two rooms, sitting 6feet apart. A neighbor had called police to report the gathering. Police later apologized and said the service was lawful.
Why do city officials think religious services pose a health risk?
It’s a bad idea to allow gatherings for church services right now, Kowalik said, because they tend to beindoor events attended by large numbers of people at a high risk of infection.
"Filling up the churches with hundreds of people —and a lot of them are elderly people —I think most health experts would say, do you really want to do this?” Barrett said.
The health department has faced criticism for what some have said is a double-standard: Why can businesses allow more than 10 people, but houses of worship cannot?
In stores, people are moving around and it’s easier to create distance, Kowalik said.
Barrett pushed back on the notion that restrictions are harsher on churches than other institutions.
“I think it’s the same standard,” Barrett said. “If there were different standards, I think that that would cause a problem.”
Why do church leaders want to resume services?
The Rev. Don Hougard of Benediction Lutheran Church, on Milwaukee's northwest side, will resume services on May 31 under whatever rules are in place then, even if it’s 10 people. But he wishes the city would relax the rules for religious organizations.
He’s borrowed many of the safety measures from the Catholic archdiocese, and he feels confident he could hold services without much risk.
And with nearby suburbs lifting regulations, he thinks some church leaders don’t know services in the city are still limited to 10 people. Speaking to the Journal Sentinel this week, he wasfrustrated with the lack of communication from city officials on the subject.
“I’ve talked with several other pastors, and we’re all kind of lost right now. Because all of a sudden the churches around us are able to open up,” Hougard said.
Hougard guesses about 40 people might show up for a service, and Benediction Lutheran is spacious enough that people could stay 6 feet apart, he said.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a large group of people who will come flocking back to church, because people are very cautious. And I’m actually glad that they’re cautious about it,” he said.
But Hougard feels strongly the importance of physically gathering together. Recorded services on YouTube aren’t the same.
“For us as Lutherans, the sacrament (of communion) is very important to us. And we can’t do that digitally. People actually have to come and receive the sacrament,” he said.
What’s next for Milwaukee’s order?
Barrett and Kowalik said the regulations would be reassessed each Fridayand that the city planned a phased reopening.
“We’re looking at the CDC recommendations,” Kowalik said. “As we improve, that will loosen up and larger groups will be allowed. But we don’t want to have more of a setback by letting things loose too soon.”
Contact Sophie Carson at (414) 223-5512 or scarson@gannett.com. Follow heron Twitter at @SCarson_News.
