California bishops call for rapid, but safe, reopening of schools
On Wednesday, July 22, the bishops of California urged Governor Gavin Newsom to develop safe procedures to reopen schools for the 2020-21 school year. The governor announced July 17 that schools in the state would begin the school year with distance learning due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Below is their full statement:
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Catholic Church in California has supported and cooperated with public officials’ efforts to contain the spread of this deadly disease, including closing our schools and suspending public worship. We took these steps, not because the government issued orders, but because our God is love and he calls us to love for our neighbors. That means working for the common good and protecting the sanctity and dignity of human life, taking special care for the poor and elderly, the sick and vulnerable.