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CHELSEA, Victoria (LifeSiteNews) – The Archbishop of Melbourne is demanding that priests in his diocese “discriminate between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated.”  

Archbishop Peter Comensoli is forcing priests to divide their congregations into two groups, with Masses for uncapped congregations of  COVID “vaccinated” parishioners and severely restricted services for the un-jabbed. 

A letter from Father Kevin Williams to his parish of St. Joseph in Chelsea, Victoria, shows that priests have been forced by Comensoli to divide attendees of ceremonies according to their COVID jab status from at latest the end of October: 

 

After stating that up to 500 people may attend a religious ceremony in the parish for the first time since COVID restrictions began, Williams explained that this could be made possible only under very strict circumstances: “All participants must be double vaccinated, and to get 500 people present they must stand outside the church (and ensure that they follow the one person per square metre rule).” 

The restrictions get even tighter, though, if parishioners wish to be seated inside the parish church. Williams noted that to do so, “we must follow the one person per four square metre rule – in which case we can only get 80 double vaccinated people in the church building for a Mass.” 

If Williams were to provide a Mass which the unvaccinated could  attend, called a “vaccination status unknown” event, then the capacity is reduced to only 30 people inside the church, he said.  

In addition, it is not permitted for the sacrament of reconciliation [confession] to be made publicly available at such Masses and services. 

Since Williams released his letter, Victoria’s Premier Dan Andrews, who describes himself as a Catholic but is vehemently pro-lockdown, pro-abortion, and pro-LGBT, has revised his ruling for places of worship.  

Despite his pro-abortion advocacy, Andrews recently received Holy Communion at a Mass said by Archbishop Comensoli. 

An update to the archdiocesan “general liturgical guidelines” for COVID-related restrictions states that, as of November 18, “places of worship may open for all celebrations, including weddings and funerals, for fully vaccinated attendees with no capacity limits or density limits,” thereby removing the need to ensure one person for every two square meters.   

Religious services are to be invigilated by a “COVID Check-in Marshal,” whose job it is to check the approved vaccination status of attendees. 

For those who have not taken the abortion-tainted shot, however, the four-meter square rule still applies, up to a hard limit of 50 attendees, both indoors and outdoors for any service. If the COVID jab status of even one attendee at a Mass or other service is unknown, then the entire attendance count is to be limited to 50. 

The archbishop included a note explaining that each individual priest has the permission to administer Holy Communion according to his own wishes, allowing him to deny a communicant reception of the sacrament on the tongue despite this ancient practise being the universal norm of the Church. 

In comments to LifeSiteNews, popular Catholic author Deacon Nick Donnelly said that Comensoli’s enforcement of Andrews’ rules runs “contrary to the nature of the Church.” 

“It is totally contrary to the Catholic Church’s Eucharistic ecclesiology to introduce division between the faithful — between the jabbed and un-jabbed — into the celebration of the Mass,” Donnelly stated with reference to St. Paul’s statement in his letter to the Corinthians: “For we, being many, are one bread, one body, all that partake of one bread” (I Cor 10:17). 

“Worse still to deny confession to those faithful who cannot have the jab makes it impossible for them to receive Holy Communion if they are aware of being in a state of mortal sin,” Donnelly continued.  

The Catholic deacon stated that it seems like Comensoli “is using denial of the sacrament of confession to coerce the faithful to have the jab. What Archbishop Comensoli is enforcing totally contradicts the nature of the Church.” 

Father Williams said that the onslaught of restrictions on worship have left him “utterly sickened” after 19 months, leading to him offer his resignation to Comensoli. 

“The archbishop spent a considerable amount of time speaking with me and has convinced me to ‘hang on’ just a little bit longer,” Williams said.  

“I will do so – but I do not know how much longer I can endure. How can I give hope to God’s people when all the hope has been utterly crushed out of me?” 

“In consequence … I am compelled to do the very thing I despise, and I will now have to discriminate between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. The three Sunday Mass times will be open to double vaccinated parishioners only,” he lamented. 

“As for now – I have no words with which to express how utterly disgusted I am. I became a priest so that I could bring God’s healing word to his people. Not so that I could be an unpaid bureaucrat moving paperwork around on desks and enforcing discriminatory governmental agendas.” 

LifeSiteNews reached out to the Archdiocese of Melbourne for comment but has not yet received a reply.