France rules limit in places of worship too restrictive

France's top administrative body ruled in favor of the Catholic church on Sunday saying the 30-people limit in places of worship across the country was too restrictive.

The State Council has given the government three days to rewrite the decree to make the measures more proportionate

.Several bishops had announced they would not enforce the restrictions before even the ruling was made public. Churches were allowed to reopen this weekend after President Emmanuel Macron announced last Tuesday an easing of France's lockdown.

Many worshippers expressed their irritation outside several Paris churches where priests officiated for groups of more than 30 people.

"People respected social distancing perfectly, each to his place and with enough space so I don't think there's anything to worry about here", Laurent Frémont told the AP on his way home after mass.

To attend mass, they had to book tickets online and give their names on their way in.

However, the church's protocol didn't seem to help limit the number of people inside the building.

Asked whether they would stay if the crowd was too large, most acquiesced, insisting that they were "all so happy to be able to attend mass again that everybody is ready to play along".

"I really think you couldn't do better from a sanitary point of view", said Humbline Frémont.

(IMAGE CREDITS: AP)