“When the Church speaks of the Sunday obligation, it reminds us that attending Mass is a personal response to the selfless offering of Christ’s love,” the bishops said in their statement (Honouring Sunday). “At this time, we recognize that for some people there may be certain factors which hinder attendance at Sunday Mass. The pandemic is clearly not over.”

“The risk of infection is still present,” they added. “For some, there is legitimate fear in gathering together. As your bishops, we recognize that these prevailing circumstances suggest that not everyone is yet in the position to fulfil the absolute duty to attend freely Sunday Mass.”