The Archdiocese of New York, a community of 2.8 million Catholics, released details of its new plan for a safe return to public worship.

Timothy Cardinal Dolan says after 10 weeks, the archdiocese will slowly begin the phases of reopening.

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He says the church cares for the health and safety of all people, and is also looking out for the souls and well-being of its worshipers.

The archdiocese says it will begin its Faith Forward initiative to reopen churches. Cardinal Dolan says the church will slowly and carefully begin to open with social distancing in mind.

 

Cardinal Dolan says Faith Forward includes opening parishes in a gradual way, testing priests on a regular basis, a limit on baptisms and marriages and limit on weekday Masses and funerals.

He says churches will begin to open for private prayer and worship, as well as confession.

Cardinal Dolan says pews will be marked in church to better enforce social distancing.

These steps will be implemented region by region and parish by parish.