"I'm extremely concerned about the food shortage and the inability of people to purchase food for their families or to pay their rents. To deprive them of their well-being and the well-being of their children in this time seems to me to be extremely cruel," Sister Markham said.

Ever since the introduction of Pope Francis' encyclical, Laudato Si', five years ago, more and more dioceses are heeding his message about caring for the environment.

The pandemic is hitting all communities hard, especially religious ones, like Maryknoll, in Ossining, New York, with members becoming ill and dying.

Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno, the Vatican Observatory's current director, recalled the first words from Father Coyne when he joined the observatory staff in 1993: "Do good science."

Bishop Sheldon J. Fabre of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana, chairman of the bishop's Ad Hoc Committee on Racism, said during the bishops' spring general assembly June 14 that the document would reflect recommendations from the various audiences that have reviewed drafts of the document.

"We know the faces, we know the stories. We cry with those who are hurting, and it's sad to see young people feeling unsure about the future, who are just wanting to be a part of this country."

The AMA's Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs is gathering information to "outline the current landscape" on physician-assisted suicide.