The U.S. bishops’ conference has made defeating the Equality Act a priority, citing concerns over religious freedom.

L.G.B.T. Catholics and their allies are reacting with dismay to a statement released Monday by the Vatican prohibiting priests from blessing same-sex unions, in which church officials assert that God “does not and cannot bless sin.”

“The internet is awash in rogue priests, bishops and bloggers presenting incorrect moral teaching,” Bishop Joseph Tyson told America. He wants Catholics to know they should not have moral qualms about receiving any vaccine.

Recent statements from the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the U.S. bishops’ conference say Catholics should not take the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine if other options are available. But some Catholic ethicists and theologians say such messages are unhelpful in the face of this ongoing crisis.

A consortium of Catholic foundations is using its collective giving-power to push for stronger safeguarding measures aimed at protecting children and vulnerable adults from sexual abuse, misconduct and harassment.

On Ash Wednesday, Joe Biden urged Americans to hold in prayer those who have suffered from the Covid-19 pandemic while “look[ing] with hope and anticipation toward Easter and brighter days ahead.”

Public disagreements among the U.S. bishop are rare but not unprecedented. A contentious debate about the church and AIDS in 1987 is perhaps the situation most similar to the divisions over how to welcome President Biden.

Whenever dioceses choose to lift dispensations, like with other difficult pandemic-related decisions, individual believers will have to decide for themselves when they feel safe going back to church.

The plan places a particular emphasis on ensuring equal access to Covid-19 testing, treatment and vaccination.

A group of U.S. Catholic bishops, including a cardinal and an archbishop, have signed a statement of support for L.G.B.T. youth, telling them, “God created you, God loves you and God is on your side.”