According to the Jesuit statement, both health disparities and the economic devastation of the pandemic have uniquely affected lower-income workers, people of color and immigrant people.

Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice told Breed that "San Francisco’s treatment of places of worship raises serious concerns about religious freedom."

"Pandemics and disasters are like springtime for phony priests," said Rodolfo Soriano-Núñez, a sociologist who studies the Mexican church.

The Vatican has proposed to the Chinese government that they extend an agreement signed in 2018 regarding the appointment of bishops, Vatican Media reported.

Trump has accepted an invitation to return to the dinner for the first time in four years. Organizers said they anticipate his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, will attend as well.

Saying that the pandemic is causing widespread economic challenges, the officials urged Congress and the White House to "put aside partisan politics and prioritize human life and the common good."