Under the leadership of Archbishop Salvatore Joseph Cordileone, some Catholics in San Francisco are protesting current restrictions on Mass, CBS reported; though parishes throughout the country are still under some limitations.

An article published Sept. 17 in the Washington Examiner said that churches throughout the state of Arizona are not limited in their observance of the Mass. The Diocese of Phoenix has stated that they are working on restoring parish life while being respectful of the severity of the virus.

In an op-ed published by Cordileone on the Washington Post, he decried the San Francisco's response to public worship amidst the virus, calling out the inconsistencies that exist in current allowances for activities. 

“People can freely go to parks here, as long as they stay 6 feet apart. If they follow proper social distancing and wear masks, people can eat on an outdoor patio with no hard numerical limit,” the archbishop said. “Indoor shopping malls are already open at 25% capacity. Catholics in San Francisco are increasingly noticing the simple unfairness. As one of my parishioners asked recently, ‘Why can I spend 3 hours indoors shopping for shoes at Nordstrom’s but can’t go to Mass?’”

The group of several hundred individuals in San Francisco participated in three marches at the churches of St. Anthony of Padua, St. Dominic Church and St. Patrick Church, meeting with the archbishop at the City Hall. From there, they marched to the Cathedral of St. Mary the Assumption.

Currently, the city of San Francisco has a 12-person attendance limitation on outdoor Masses. 

The archdiocese of San Francisco’s Facebook post stated, “There is no science that says only one person should be allowed to pray in churches such as the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, which seats 2,500 people. There’s only one explanation for such a rule: a dislike of the Catholic Church.” 

Cordileone also noted that there are similar conditions for worship limitations in California, New Jersey, Maine, Virginia, Connecticut and Nevada.