Copy Desk Daily, May 8, 2020

While many of us are experiencing long-term seclusion for the first time, for some it is a yearslong normal. John Gehring shares the stories of immigrants Edith Espinal and Miriam Vargas: Mothers in sanctuary, living in churches for over two years, endure isolation. "It's hard living like this and not being able to leave, work or live a normal life," Vargas says. "I'm a person who came here looking for an opportunity in this great nation. My dream is to leave sanctuary and not be followed and persecuted. I'm not a criminal. I'm just an undocumented person."

Last fall, the U.S. bishops made a point of declaring abortion their "preeminent priority." But Bishop Ernest Obodo says his local church has its own pressing concerns. This Nigerian bishop ranks migration a bigger issue than abortion and climate. "Nigerian youths are being compelled by the harsh economic realities in Nigeria to leave the shores of their country to migrate to other nations" — a journey that risks death and falling victim to human trafficking.

EarthBeat's Burning Questions feature considers: Does the Covid crisis represent an opportunity for climate change? Here are four ways it might. (Do you have a Burning Question about faith and climate change? You can ask it here.)

"I imagined it would only be natural for all of us to sacrifice our comforts once body bags began to line up in our counties and towns. ... It was hard for me to imagine that we'd become divided about this." GSR columnist Sr. Julia Walsh mourns over the body bags of pandemics and wars.

Should bishops refrain from criticizing each other in public? Cardinal Timothy Dolan's fawning over President Donald Trump has put that norm to the test recently, Michael Sean Winters points out. But there are some good reasons for the practice, he argues.

For Olga Segura, the New York archbishop's words have her asking: Do US bishops really believe black lives matter? The bishops' conference released a couple of statements decrying racial inequalities and xenophobia during the pandemic. But how much do "such written pleasantries" count without action to accompany them?

"Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres." "Tell me with whom you walk, and I will tell you who you are." But when we're prevented from physical proximity, walking with others in an age of social distancing takes on new forms — and young people have insight for us on that, writes Miguel H. Díaz.

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