(FW) – Two churches in New Mexico are facing steep fines for holding worship services on Christmas Eve — gatherings the Democratic governor deemed “illegal and selfish.”
Legacy Church and Calvary Church in Albuquerque were caught by government officials after posting video footage and photos of their respective services online, KOAT-TV reported. The clips showed hundreds of congregants gathered together, many allegedly not wearing masks. State government officials have slapped each church with $10,000 in fines.
On Dec. 15, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) made the unilateral decision to limit church gatherings in “red counties,” where COVID-19 case counts are higher, to 25% capacity. She also ordered all parishioners to wear masks. In a scathing statement rebuking the pastors for hosting worship services at their churches, Grisham condemned the Christian leaders as “pro-virus” and rebuked churchgoers for attending “selfish and illegal” faith-based gatherings.
“In violating both the state public health order and common sense, these two churches and their leaders endangered the lives, livelihoods, and health of not only their parishioners but their entire communities — and, given how quickly this virus can spread, potentially our state as a whole,” Grisham told NBC News. “We all wish this pandemic were over, but it’s not, and no pro-virus pastor may deem it so.” READ MORE
