Covid-19: Pope urges governments
to act for the common good
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| Police distribute food to homeless people during lockdown in India (AFP) |
Pope Francis responds to a letter from the President of the
Pan American Committee of Judges for Social Rights and Franciscan Doctrine,
addressing the issues of measures adopted by governments to defend their
populations against the Covid-19 virus.
By Vatican News
Pope Francis opens his letter, dated March 28 and addressed
to Dr. Roberto Andrés Gallardo, President of the Pan American Committee of
Judges, by saying that “we are all concerned about the growth of the pandemic”.
Though the virus is spreading rapidly, the Pope says he is
encouraged “by the reaction of so many doctors, nurses, volunteers, religious
and priests, who put their lives at risk” in order to protect others.
The Pope recognises that some governments have taken
“exemplary measures” and have well-defined priorities to defend the
population”. Although some of these measures may be considered ‘irritating’ by
some, the Pope acknowledges that they are put in place “for the common good”,
and that most people “accept them and carry them forward with a positive
attitude”.
The governments that are tackling the crisis in this way are
showing that “the people” are their priority, says the Pope. This is an
important decision because we know that “defending the people” results in
“economic disaster”, he adds.
“It would be sad to opt for the contrary”, says the Pope as
any other way would result in the death of many, many people.
Pope Francis then refers to a meeting held with the
Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in which they reflected on
“the now” and “the later”.
Preparing for “the later” is important, says the Pope, and
some of the consequences are already noticeable and need to be addressed. One
of these, for example, is hunger.
Pope Francis ends his letter by referring to the opinion of
economist Mariana Mazzucato in her book “The Value of Everything: Making and
Taking in the Global Economy”. Her book explores the need to rethink value,
explaining how giving more importance to value rather than price will help make
the world a better place. “I think it helps to think about the future” says the
Pope.
Finally, the Pope sends his wishes to Dr Gallardo and his
family, and, as is his custom, asks that they pray for him, too.
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