The denial of education to girls is a violation of their dignity as human beings made in the image of God, writes Jenny Cafiso of Canadian Jesuits International.
Built on the grotto where Christians believe Jesus was born, the church joins a list of prominent tourist and holy sites to shutter their doors in the wake of rising fears over the spread of coronavirus.
His statement came in response to angry reaction to the Mass by Robert Hoatson, co-founder of Road to Recovery, an sexual abuse victims' advocacy group.