May 25 California issues guidelines for church reopenings By Robert Jablon, Associated Press Churches can resume in-person services but worshippers will be limited to 100 people and they should wear masks, avoid sharing prayer books and skip the collection plate under state guidelines released Monday. Continue reading
May 19 Pandemic will affect Communion rituals for U.S. Christians By David Crary, Associated Press Striking changes in Communion will take place at Catholic and Protestant churches across the United States over coming weeks as restrictions on large gatherings –- imposed because of the coronavirus outbreak –- are gradually eased. Continue reading
Apr 28 Watch 11:55 How religious leaders are keeping the faith during COVID-19 By Judy Woodruff, Courtney Norris, Alison Thoet Throughout the pandemic, restrictions on social gatherings have forced those who observe major religious holidays to find new ways to practice their faith. How is COVID-19 changing places of worship? Judy Woodruff talks to New York University’s Imam Khalid Latif,… Continue watching
Apr 19 Churches mostly empty for Orthodox Easter due to virus rules By Jim Heintz, Associated Press The holiest day of the year for Orthodox Christians was reserved and glum in many countries where churches were closed to worshipers for Easter services because of restrictions aimed at suppressing the spread of the coronavirus. Continue reading
Apr 14 DOJ takes church’s side in drive-in services vs. stay-at-home conflict By Colleen Long, Michael Balsamo, Emily Wagster Pettus, Associated Press The Justice Department took the rare step on Tuesday of weighing in on the side of a Mississippi Christian church where local officials had tried to stop Holy Week services broadcast to congregants sitting in their cars in the parking… Continue reading
Apr 10 Watch 5:28 Pandemic turns Holy Week celebrations empty and silent By Sabina Castelfranco The coronavirus pandemic has made this year’s Holy Week one like never before. With stricken Italy extending a nationwide lockdown into May, Pope Francis has been holding services only via TV and online. And in Israel, the sacred sites of… Continue watching
Apr 09 Coronavirus may stop Ramadan events, says Iran’s leader By Jon Gambrell, Associated Press Iran’s supreme leader is suggesting that mass gatherings in the Islamic Republic may be barred through the Muslim holy month of Ramadan amid the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading
Mar 27 Pope prays for ‘fragile’ humanity in need of help during the pandemic By Frances D'Emilio, Associated Press Praying in a desolately empty St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis on Friday likened the coronavirus pandemic to a storm laying bare illusions that people can be self-sufficient and instead leaves “all of us fragile and disoriented.”… Continue reading
Mar 19 Places of worship try to keep the faith during the COVID-19 pandemic By Courtney Norris As churches, mosques and temples do their part in limiting human interaction, the faithful are trying to settle into new routines of observance and prayer, and places of worship are harnessing technology to connect. Continue reading
Mar 05 Watch 3:28 A Brief But Spectacular take on how ‘everybody is somebody’ When Cecil Williams was born 90 years ago, his mother instinctively knew he would become a preacher. As an adult, Cecil began working at a church in San Francisco's Tenderloin but was disappointed to see it turn people away, rather… Continue watching