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Archdiocese of Detroit: Fully vaccinated don’t have to wear mask in church

Sanar Yokhana, foreground, and Richard Lewandowski pray in front of a statue of St. Anthony during an Ash Wednesday service at the St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Detroit. The ashes, a symbol of penance, are made from palm leaves used in last year's Palm Sunday liturgy and were sprinkled on their head. The sprinkling, because of the pandemic, is a departure from the usual practice of making the sign of the cross on the forehead and follows an ancient method still common in parts of the world today. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) (Carlos Osorio, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

DETROIT – The Archdiocese of Detroit announced Wednesday that churchgoers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no longer need to wear a face mask inside Catholic churches.

Those who have not been fully vaccinated must continue to wear masks and practice social distancing to protect themselves and others in churches, the Archdiocese announced.

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“Because a parish community -- and our society -- requires mutual trust and a commitment to the common good, each individual is asked to make the best decisions for himself as well as for others. Parishes do not have the responsibility to verify who is and who is not vaccinated,” reads a statement from the Archdiocese.

Moreover, the Archdiocese said the Sign of Peace may resume with the normal wording, “Offerte vobis pacem/Let us offer each other the sign of peace,” allowing parishioners and families to “make their own determinations about how widely to share some sign of peace” during mass.

As of the vaccine, Archbishop of Detroit Allen Vigneron released a joint statement with other Michigan bishops in March telling Catholics that it is “morally permissible to receive the vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna.”

Michigan lifted mask requirements this weekend for most indoor and outdoor settings for fully vaccinated residents. The move matches newly issued guidance from the CDC.

Read more: How Metro Detroit churches are adjusting to new mask guidelines