Covid-19: Baghdad priests
donate salaries to the poor
 |
| An Iraqi health worker takes a break (AFP) |
Parish priests in Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, decide to donate
their salaries to the poor affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
By Linda Bordoni
Baghdad’s parish priests have decided to donate their
salaries to help the poor and the people most affected by the new coronavirus
pandemic.
Their contribution, that should result in about 25 million
Iraqi dinars, will be added to 90,000 US dollars already allocated by the
Chaldean patriarchate for the same reason.
The decision came at the end of a meeting on Friday evening
between the priests, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, Archbishop of Baghdad and
Patriarch of the Chaldean Church in Iraq, and auxiliary bishops Shemon Warduni
and Basil Yaldo.
Fragile socio-economic reality
The Covid-19 pandemic hit Iraq in late February, when the
country was in its most fragile and vulnerable state, with a caretaker
government and a wave of mass protests that had started in October 2019.
The devastating economic consequences of a lockdown on the
economy, combined with the sharp drop of oil prices and the security and
political issues that have undermined Iraq for more than a decade, have set the
stage for much suffering.
Discussing the current situation and precautionary measures
dictated by the pandemic, the Chaldean Primate reiterated the need to respect
social distancing in churches and uphold government health directives and
lockdowns to counter the spread of the disease.
To this end, all group activities within the parishes remain
suspended until further notice, including catechism and activities for youth.
Cardinal Sako also noted that the Chaldean Church plans to
further use the Internet and social media to keep in touch with the faithful.
Church’s commitment and closeness to the poor
He confirmed the Church's commitment and closeness to the
poorest and neediest families, and in a plea to the Christian community, the
patriarch stressed that “at this historical and fateful time, all Iraqis must
put aside their personal struggles and interests” to promote “shared action and
solidarity against the common enemy" that threatens lives, the economy and
social and religious relations.
According to official statistics, Iraq has almost 1,800
reported cases of the new coronavirus with 83 deaths.
However medical sources and independent analysts claim the
toll is much higher and some doctors have reportedly been targeted by police
for reporting three times more cases.
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét