The diocese has restarted in-person worship with rigorous restrictions, including demanding vaccination certificates from worshippers without an “approved medical exemption”. Good luck finding a doctor willing to risk his career by writing a medical exemption.
Next step: vaccine passports needed to enter the Pearly Gates.
From here:
Those 12 years old and over must be fully vaccinated (or have an approved medical exemption) and provide proof of the same, in order to attend the gathering.
I deplore this step by the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador. It is “virtue signalling” of the most insubstantial kind. Now that all public health officials admit that there is no difference in transmission of COVID-19 among vaccinated and unvaccinated people, there is no medical justification for such discrimination. (I am far from conceding that turning away people who declined to show proof of vaccination would have been morally justifiable even when it was thought that vaccination made a difference to transmission. But that is now a moot question.)
Nevertheless, we should frankly acknowledge that the leadership of ANiC, too, seems still to imagine that allowing only vaccinated people to attend a service is “safer.” Proof of vaccination has been made a condition of attending the consecration of ANiC’s new Bishop Coadjutor: https://www.anglicannetwork.ca/consecration/. How would they proceed, I wonder, if the Bishop-Coadjutor-Elect himself were to decline to present proof of vaccination? I suggest that he should do exactly that.
As far as I know, ANiC’s position on vaccine passports is that they will do what is demanded by the government but not go further, so I think this is a provincial requirement.
Whether that is the right thing to do or not is another matter, of course. Speaking for myself, I am opposed to the mandates since they are illogical, deceptive and, as an act of medical coercion, plain wrong.
When most or all public health measures are eventually lifted in Canada, and I can only speak for myself, I will continue to wear face mask and practice physical distancing for a long time yet. I am no longer 25 years old; I have to be careful.
And I will heartily defend your right to make that choice!