Bishop of Derry Most Rev Donal McKeown
The decision to prevent people from visiting their loved ones’ graves has divided political parties.
The DUP says they should reopen but Sinn Fein opposes them being reopened.
Cemeteries were closed when the lockdown was announced by the Executive last month.
However, last Saturday a British government said that cemeteries should be kept open to the public who wanted to visit graves of loved ones.
The Catholic Bishop of Derry, the Most Reverend Donal McKeown, agrees, saying “it is a very difficult area” but asked the executive to give “some sense of logic” for their motivation behind this particular piece of legislation.
The Church of Ireland Bishop of Derry and Raphoe Rev Andrew Forster said that decision should “be looked at again”.
Derry City and Strabane District Council says it will not reopen the cemeteries until the decision is made by the Stormont Executive.
Bishop Andrew Forster takes
Some feel it would allow them to grieve for their loved ones with social distancing in place.
Others believe the cemeteries should remain closed and people should stay at home to prevent the risk of spreading the Coronavirus.
