Romanian church in Chicago defies stay-at-home order issued by Illinois governor
The Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church in Albany Park, Chicago, defied the stay-at-home order issued by the Illinois governor amid the COVID-19 pandemic and opened its doors for dozens of worshippers on Sunday, Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Romania Insider · Journalist
· Updated · 4 min read
The Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church in Albany Park, Chicago, defied the stay-at-home order issued by the Illinois governor amid the COVID-19 pandemic and opened its doors for dozens of worshippers on Sunday, Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Elim Romanian’s senior pastor Cristian Ionescu told his flock the move to hold services was “not a rebellion for the sake of rebellion.” He claimed the Constitution granted them the right to worship during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Romanian church also sued governor J.B. Pritzker in federal court over his Restore Illinois plan, which will allow supermarkets and businesses to reopen but will not allow gatherings of more than 50 people - such as a large church service. Churches in Illinois are currently not allowed to hold gatherings with more than 10 people.
“We feel that we are discriminated against,” Ionescu told the Sun-Times. He noted that large groups of people were already allowed to shop at grocery and hardware stores. “We follow the same rules as other places that are also considered essential, and yet we cannot have more than 10 people in a service, which is ridiculous.”
Ionescu, whose congregation has about 900 members, argued that churches are as essential as grocery stores or hardware stores. “We don’t offer food for body but offer food for soul, which is just as vital, and tools to build the house of God,” he said, according to BlockClubChicago.org. “And we’re not asking for any special treatments or preference. We want the same restrictions in place that Home Deport or Walmart has right now.”
The Romanian pastor said he had his church sanitized before Sunday’s services and had everyone’s temperature checked at the entrance. He also provided his congregants with masks, gloves and hand sanitizer, and put caution tape on the pews to ensure social distancing.
The local authorities in Chicago did not try to stop worshippers from congregating.
“We’re not gonna send in the police to arrest parishioners. People are exercising their faith, and I understand that,” Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot said on Monday, according to Chicago Sun-Times
