Order issues apology to man turned away from not wearing a mask -despite fact he's exempt

A religious order based in Carfin has been forced to apologise over an unofficial policy in regard to masks which saw one worshipper who is medically exempt being turned away.
Church worshipChurch worship
Church worship

Patrick McKay (67) of Coney Drive in Motherwell had intended to attend the mass held on All Saints Day in the small chapel of the Holy Ghost Fathers or the Spiritan order, but a passkeeper told him that he could not enter because he was not wearing a mask.

The retired electrical engineer contacted the Motherwell Times as he believed he had been a victim of disability discrimination and added: “As we approach the holy seasons of Advent and Christmas, how ironic that the Spiritans have ‘no room at the inn’ for anyone exempt from wearing a face-covering.”

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The incident has also been given wider exposure after Scottish-based website Catholic Truth learned what had happened to Mr McKay, prompting its editor Patricia McKeever to criticise the decision.

The editor said: “Obviously, what happened to Patrick McKay was very wrong, and an example of what is going on these days with so many officious lay busy bodies taking full advantage of the current hype about the virus to abuse their limited authority."

She stressed though that priests had apologised and the Motherwell Times has now learned that Mr McKay will indeed be welcome to return without a mask. A spokesperson from the order said that the set-up stemmed from a desire to protect the sick and not any intention to discriminate.

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