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Millions in coronavirus aid went to embattled Catholic dioceses

The US Catholic Church used a special and unprecedented ex­emption from federal rules to amass billions of dollars in taxpayer-backed coronavirus aid, with many millions going to dioceses that have paid huge settlements or sought bankruptcy protection because of clergy sexual abuse cover-ups.

The church’s haul may have reached—or even exceeded—$3.5 billion, making a global religious institution with more than a billion followers among the biggest winners in the US government’s pandemic relief efforts, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal data released in July.

Survey: Most Americans are not ready to return to in-person services

A new study examining Americans’ re­sponse to COVID-19 shows that with the exception of white evangelicals, a majority of Americans are not comfortable returning to in-person religious services.

The results of the survey from the American Enterprise Institute suggest that despite political pressure to reopen houses of worship—from President Donald Trump as well as from some conservative Christian leaders—Americans aren’t quite ready to take a seat in a sanctuary.