The Pontifical Academy for Life has published “Humana Communitas in the Age of Pandemic: Untimely Meditations on Life's Rebirth.” The document presents reflections on the COVID-19 crisis and on what the future could hold for a world already changed by the pandemic.
It highlights greed and exploitation of the planet as root causes of the pandemic, what it refers to as “a symptom of our earth's malaise and our failure to care.” It's a crisis that has revealed tremendous inequalities between populations.
ARCH. VINCENZO PAGLIA
President, Pontifical Academy for Life
“We're all in the same storm, but not all in the same boat. The weakest, or most fragile people and groups are those who are hit most violently.”
The Vatican thus calls for international cooperation, to reform the healthcare system at the global level, guaranteeing “universal access to the best preventive, diagnostic, and treatment opportunities.”
ARCH. VINCENZO PAGLIA
President, Pontifical Academy for Life
“Scientific research can't answer only to the economic profits of the richest countries. At the same time, the vaccine, once it's discovered, can't be the privilege of only a few. It has to be offered to everyone, gratuitously.”
Another key point of the document is the importance of individual responsibility in mitigating the consequences of the crisis.
ARCH. VINCENZO PAGLIA
President, Pontifical Academy for Life
“There's a need for every conscience to change in order to face this pandemic with a global perspective, to help one another.”
In addition to publishing “Humana Communitas,” the Vatican has also been advocating for a global ceasefire to provide medical attention to vulnerable populations facing both war and the pandemic.
CT
