Amid a fight in several places around the country to open churches on Easter despite novel coronavirus restrictions, a federal judge overruled Louisville, Kentucky, Mayor Greg Fischer’s decision to ban all services, including drive-in church.
Judge Justin Walker, of the Western District of Kentucky, issued a temporary restraining order against the city of Louisville Saturday afternoon in a case filed by On Fire Christian Church.
Walker admonished FIscher’s restrictions, announced on Thursday, writing, “On Holy Thursday, an American mayor criminalized the communal celebration of Easter. That sentence is one that this Court never expected to see outside the pages of a dystopian novel, or perhaps the pages of The Onion.”
“But two days ago, citing the need for social distancing during the current pandemic, Louisville’s Mayor Greg Fischer ordered Christians not to attend Sunday services, even if they remained in their cars to worship — and even though it’s Easter,” the decision continued. “The Mayor’s decision is stunning. And it is, ‘beyond all reason,’ unconstitutional.”
The mayor had said in a briefing Friday, “In order to save lives, we must not gather in churches, drive-through services, family gatherings [and] social gatherings this weekend.”
Gellieman
Article URL : https://abcnews.go.com/US/kentucky-governor-warns-worshipers-congregate-easter-weekend/story?id=70101091