The Catholic bishops of Minnesota have begun plans to implement a reopening schedule for public worship in parishes throughout the state.

Lay-led liturgies cannot be an adequate substitute for the Mass. Nothing can. But they can help move through these anxiety-ridden times.

Catholic dioceses throughout the United States are making decisions on their own, resulting in a hodgepodge of procedures and protocols.

Pope Francis celebrated Mass at the tomb of his sainted predecessor, John Paul II, on the occasion of the centenary of the Polish pope's birth. For the first time since the pandemic started, the general public was admitted into St. Peter's Basilica, but with sanitary protocols observed.

What that community looks like these days has changed, most notably in the inability to gather to celebrate the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

In anticipation of opening Rome's churches for celebration of public Masses, the Italian army and city sanitation authorities are sanitizing the sacred spaces in order to keep the public safe.