(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — People attending Masses in the Rockford Diocese and some in the Archdiocese of Chicago may be noticing changes this weekend: people’s full faces.
Rockford Bishop David Malloy has given people permission to take off their masks while at Masses, if they’re fully vaccinated. The bishop says in a letter to the diocese’s more than 100 parishes that he’s following the mask guidelines of the CDC and state of Illinois.
People will be on the honor system, according to diocese spokeswoman Penny Wiegert.
“We’re not going to be asking people if they’re vaccinated or not vaccinated, but if someone comes into the church and says, ‘You know, I’d really like to sit over here. I’m going to wear my mask,’ that’s perfectly fine.”
All priests and lay ministers will be required to wear masks while distributing Communion, she said.
In Chicago, things will vary from parish to parish, according to a statement from the Archdiocese of Chicago. Each parish will decide what it wants to do regarding masks.
Churches that allow parishioners to go without masks will be required to check peoples' proof of vaccination. Otherwise, masks are to be worn at Masses and other services, the Chicago Archdiocese said.
The Diocese of Joliet, meanwhile, is still requiring masks to be worn, according to its website.
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