Nation/World

The Vatican began vaccinating its employees and residents against COVID-19 Jan. 13, giving priority to its health care workers, security personnel, employees who deal with the public and older residents, employees and retirees.

After a flurry of court decisions, the Supreme Court reversed a pair of rulings from federal appeals courts that had put death-row inmate Lisa Montgomery’s execution on hold, and it denied two other last-minute requests to postpone the execution.

A federal appeals court reaffirmed a hold on an Arkansas law that bans abortions 18 weeks into pregnancy and another banning an abortion from being performed when a fetus is detected to have Down syndrome.

Several bishops, priests and deacons across the country used their pulpits during Jan. 9-10 weekend Masses to address what happened in Washington and how people of faith should respond.

The Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments asked priests to take special anti-COVID-19 precautions this year when distributing ashes on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17, including sprinkling ashes on the top of people’s heads rather than using them to make a cross on people’s foreheads.

By March, the vicariate plans to have 2,500 digital radio receivers ready to distribute to homes along the banks of major jungle rivers, including the Amazon, so students can tune in to the government’s distance learning program, “Learn at Home,” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his message for the Feb. 11 celebration, Pope Francis called on Christians to practice what they preach, including by guaranteeing equal access to health care for all people.

Archbishops Coakley and Naumann called on President-elect Joe Biden and Congress to declare a moratorium on federal executions.