PRACTICE OF WORSHIP (OPINION) Consultative Committee on Worship, at its session held on 26th October 2001). These decisions clearly take precedence over the “sectarian” orientation previously attributed to events organised by this religion. Such recognition of the religious nature of legally constituted bodies and therefore the right enjoyed by the followers of such religions to have their own chaplain, certainly does not constitute recognition of practices prejudicial to persons. It is an expression of the neutrality laid down by secularism. Secondly, the authorities likewise cannot play down the status accorded to chaplains, on the grounds that the religion in question is a minority one. As soon as a religion is recognised as such by the governing law, its chaplains, just like any other chaplains, should be allowed to enjoy identical prerogatives and cannot be limited, e.g. within prisons, to having visitor status, which in turn creates a “visiting-room religion” (i.e. meetings held with “the chaplain” are restricted to this location, rather than taking place in a cell or in purpose-built premises). On the other hand, the authorities should of course keep the number of approved chaplains proportionate to the number of people claiming to practise a particular religion. This is the only possible interpretation of the laws, and especially of European penitentiary rule n°29, section 2 (which, incidentally, cannot take precedence over the 1905 Law and Penitentiary Law), unless we specifically take the view that, as soon as the activities undertaken by this legal entity are recognised as a form of worship, the authorities, abandoning the principle of secularism that ought to apply in full here, decide that they will be responsible for assessing which forms of worship are acceptable in custodial establishments, and what prerogatives should be associated with them. What applies to this denomination applies to all those whose organisations are religious in nature, even where they are classified as minority religions in France (and, incidentally, possibly as majority religions in some regions or locations). 7/ Several denominations, represented by varying numbers of detainees held in custodial establishments, impose rules on those that recognise them, in terms of what they can eat and drink. The question of prescribed food is one of particular significance, given that food (quantity consumed and quality) is an issue of fundamental importance for anyone who is deprived of their liberty. At the present 89