A Catholic bishop has allowed funeral services to resume in the cross-border diocese of Clogher, saying up to 10 people can now attend services.

Bishop Larry Duffy said the absence of traditional funerals in recent weeks had been the “most difficult aspect” of the Covid-19 crisis for the bereaved.

Almost six weeks ago, he temporarily stopped all church funeral services.

But this week he said limited services can restart after the Irish government set out a phased lifting of lockdown.

During the height of the coronavirus outbreak, Bishop Duffy had instructed that all funeral services should be postponed until a later date and that the deceased should be brought directly to the graveyard for burial.

At the time, he said he was introducing measures that he could “never have imagined” in order to protect the lives and wellbeing of parishioners.http://A Catholic bishop has allowed funeral services to resume in the cross-border diocese of Clogher, saying up to 10 people can now attend services. Bishop Larry Duffy said the absence of traditional funerals in recent weeks had been the “most difficult aspect” of the Covid-19 crisis for the bereaved. Almost six weeks ago, he temporarily stopped all church funeral services. But this week he said limited services can restart after the Irish government set out a phased lifting of lockdown. During the height of the coronavirus outbreak, Bishop Duffy had instructed that all funeral services should be postponed until a later date and that the deceased should be brought directly to the graveyard for burial. At the time, he said he was introducing measures that he could “never have imagined” in order to protect the lives and wellbeing of parishioners.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-52577090