Kuwait churches postpone reopening

The churches in Kuwait, which have suspended services for three months, were sterilized on Friday as part of ongoing efforts to reopen them for worshippers, local daily Arab Times has reported.

There are more than 500,000 local and foreign Christians in Kuwait.

Earlier this month, Kuwait started implementing a phased plan allowing the gradual return to normal life after a lockdown prompted by an outbreak of the new coronavirus.

Father Afram Al Taemi, the pastor of the Roman Orthodox Church, said that the church remains closed until the Friday Muslim prayers are officially permitted. “We’ll wait until the ministries of Awqaf and health take the proper decision in this respect to protect health of all citizens and residents in Kuwait,” he told Kuwaiti newspaper Al Anba.

Archbishop Raymond Eid, the head of the Maronite parish in Kuwait, said the Catholic Church receives around 200,000 people during the holidays and he said it would not risk the lives of these people as the church plans to reopen, according to the report.

Father Boutros Gharib of the Roman Catholic Church said the site remains shut. “Maybe we’ll reopen the church at the end of the month when the situation becomes far better and in line with instructions of the ministries of health and Awqaf,” he said. “Every Friday, we hold a live mass on the Facebook without the worshippers’ presence.”