Pritzker Lifts Restrictions on Religious Gatherings

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker Thursday said he was dropping all legal restrictions on religious gatherings and replacing them with voluntary "guidance". 

The action came ahead of a deadline to respond to two churches' request for an emergency stay to allow them to have more than 10 people in attendance at Pentecost services this Sunday. It's also seen as a move to keep the US Supreme Court from getting involved in disputes over the impact of virus-related lockdown orders on churches.

The new guidelines from Pritzker encourage congregations to limit attendance to 25% of normal capacity with no more than 100 people on hand.

"Per the Governor's announcement today, religious organizations are no longer subject to any of the gathering restrictions in any phase," Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Solicitor General Jane Notz wrote in the state's submission to the Supreme Court on Thursday night.

Earlier Thursday, Springfield Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki granted permission for public Masses to be celebrated in the diocese beginning as soon as the weekend of June 6-7, with attendance limited to 25% of the capacity of the worship space, while also maintaining appropriate safe distancing.