Church in Wales announces all public worship, including weddings, will be suspended due to coronavirus

The Church in Wales has announced it will suspend all acts of public worship until further notice due to the coronavirus outbreak.

This also means weddings will be postponed until 31 July.

Couples planning to get married before the end of July should expect to see their fees refunded according to their website.

"Weddings scheduled until 31 July 2020 should be postponed and any fees already paid refunded. Couples with a later wedding date should be free to cancel/rearrange without financial penalty.

If for pressing pastoral reasons a wedding must take place, it should be solemnised with a maximum of ten persons present."

Funerals and baptisms can go ahead but only if fewer than 10 people are attending. Credit: PA Images

On Tuesday afternoon, the Church also announced funerals and baptisms could only go ahead if fewer than 10 people attend the service. In a statement they said they were taking action in light of new governmental advice which advises against all but essential travel.

"All church services and gatherings for public worship should no longer take place. This includes regular Sunday services and weekday services, as well as occasional offices. Study groups and other parochial events that gather people together should also no longer take place."

"Our guidance relating to the ceasing of public worship applies to funerals in church.

Clergy may continue to take a funeral service at the graveside and at crematoria. Once the wider situation makes it safe so to do, the bereaved should be offered opportunities for remembering their loved ones in church at a future date."

The Church in Wales said it would be staying in touch with the community by phone, by post and online helping the most vulnerable with the delivery of food, medicines and essential services and supplies.

It comes after it was confirmed a second person in Wales had died after contracting COVID-19. The 96-year-old was being treated at Morriston Hospital and had underlying health conditions.

The Vatican has decided to livestream the pope’s Sunday blessing. Credit: PA Images

The Catholic Church has also taken action overseas with the Vatican deciding to livestream the pope’s Sunday blessing to prevent people gathering at St Peter’s Square.

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