Caritas supporting local Churches
in fighting Covid-19
Caritas Internationalis launches a new “Covid-19 Response
Fund” to help support the efforts of local Churches as they assist those
suffering the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
By Devin Watkins
Pope Francis recently set up a Commission to manifest the
Church’s care for people around the world affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Caritas Internationalis plays a key role in the Vatican task
force, due to its vast network of aid agencies spread out in local dioceses in
160 nations.
The Catholic Church’s human development arm released a communiqué on
Thursday launching a new fundraising initiative called the “Covid-19
Response Fund”.
Aloysius John, the Secretary General of Caritas
Internationalis, spoke to Vatican Radio about the Church’s role in helping
those suffering during the ongoing pandemic.
Pope Francis's concern
“Pope Francis is very much preoccupied with Covid-19, and he
wants the Church to express solidarity with the local Churches and help them at
this moment as a gesture of witnessing the universal love and care of the
universal Church for the local Church,” said Mr. John.
The Commission which the Pope set up consists of five
working groups. Caritas Internationalis belongs to the first working group,
which is dedicated to listening and supporting local Churches.
“We have lots of experience in the areas of health and
micro-development, and we are present down to the parish-level in a very
capillary way in service of the Church,” said Mr. John.
Sign of solidarity
Caritas has already sent out a survey and received responses
from 140 Bishops’ Conferences.
Therefore, Caritas already has a wealth of information which
can be used to better distribute aid in case of a local outbreak of Covid-19.
Mr. John said the solidarity fund will be used to provide
healthcare services in the areas of prevention and control of infections,
access to clean water and sanitation, and procurement of personal protective
equipment (masks, gloves, etc).
Providing food to those in lockdown
Food security is one area that Caritas is most concerned
about. Some poor people in developing nations consider Covid-19 to be the
lesser of two evils. They prefer to defy social-distancing measures to go out
in search of work.
“How are we going to help them? If they don’t have food,
then they have to go out to search for food and expose themselves, and others,
to the contagious effects of the disease,” Mr. John points out.
He said that Caritas is most concerned about parts of Africa
and the Middle East where wars and internal conflicts have left many people
poor and vulnerable.
Caritas Jerusalem’s staff in Palestine is already running
out of money and may be forced to stop offering food and hygiene kits to 500
families in need.
Solidarity in times of distancing
With local agencies’ needs increasing as the coronavirus
spreads, Caritas Internationalis has set up the Covid-19 Response Fund to
raise money to send to local Churches.
“The coronavirus solidarity fund is a means to assist small
projects which will allow Caritas to help the people who are confined,” Mr.
John said.
One project is Caritas Philippines’ “Kindness Centers” set
up at parishes. People wanting to help can bring their excess food supplies to
the centers. They are then distributed to local families in need.
“We are there to help them create solidarity,” Mr. John
said. “We are all in solidarity before the virus, but I think we also have to
be in solidarity with people to help them live with dignity.”
Educators of solidarity
The Covid-19 Response Fund offers people around the world a
chance to help those in need, even from the confines of their own homes.
“Let us join hands in helping us to help the poor, the
needy, and the most vulnerable,” said Mr. John. “Pope Francis wants us to be
‘educators of solidarity’ and, at the same time, actors in the field of
solidarity.”
How to help
Anyone wishing to make a contribution to the Covid-19
Response Fund can do so through Caritas Internationalis's website.
A Bank Account has been opened specifically for this fund at
the Vatican Bank (Institute for the Works of Religion). Funds can be wired
using the IBAN: VA29001000000020179007
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