The president of the Southern Africa Catholic Bishops' Conference said that bishops throughout the continent are engaged in a respectful dialogue on ordaining ordaining "proven married men" to the priesthood.
The Vatican decreed that priests can celebrate as many as four Masses on several important feast days, including Christmas, to accommodate the participation of the faithful.
Simply Spirit: It may be time to own our despair. The clerical system isn't working anymore. Perhaps it was never meant to work, only we didn't realize it.
Church services and Mass online cannot compare to or replace the in-person participation of the faithful, the head of the Vatican's office for divine worship told the world's bishops.
We say: As experts learn more about the novel coronavirus and how it spreads, there is evidence that indoor gatherings of medium- to large-sized groups are more dangerous than most outdoor activities.
Regulations for the reopening of religious institutions developed by a Maryland county that seemed to disallow the distribution of holy Communion were withdrawn after church leaders voiced opposition.
The chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Divine Worship has sent a memo to fellow bishops offering links to resources for parishes to review as they prepare to offer the public celebration of Mass and the sacraments.
With a number of countries in Europe slowly easing restrictions as part of a long-term strategy for containing the spread of the coronavirus, churches, too, are seeing changes in what is or will be allowed.
