In his May 8 order, however, he said that the governor had failed to prove there was no less restrictive alternative to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 and failed to address the appeals court suggestion to limit the number of people
Maryville Baptist would likely succeed on the merits of their claim, under Kentucky's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, said Hale.
The Catholic Church is planning for a limited resumption of Mass.
"To advance the common good, I have tried to work with public officials to protect the safety of all as we deal with this global health pandemic," Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville said in a May 11 statement sent to CNA. "I am pleased to announce today a plan for reopening our churches for public liturgies beginning on May 20 for those churches that are able to open safely."
In a May 11 letter to the archdiocese's Catholics, he recognized that many will not yet be able to return to church because of age, infirmity, or other vulnerabilities.
"To those who are not able to attend, please know that we are united as a Body of Christ and that you are with us in spirit and prayer," he said.
The archbishop has encouraged Masses to continue to be live-streamed and recorded online. He has issued a dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation "until further notice."
Kurtz stressed that churches that cannot open safely according to the archdiocese's directives should delay opening.
Parishes will also have reduced seating capacity, he said. Mass attendees are asked to wear a mask or face covering to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
"I know that many find this a burden, but our call as Catholics is to promote the common good."
Jason D. Hall, executive director of the Kentucky Catholic Conference, told CNA that all four Roman Catholic dioceses are "looking forward to resuming public Masses." Each diocese will have to move forward realistically based on local conditions, he said.
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Kevin J. Jones is a senior staff writer with Catholic News Agency. He was a recipient of a 2014 Catholic Relief Services' Egan Journalism Fellowship.