• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
This is the prayer card the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development published to mark the fifth anniversary May 24 of Pope Francis' encyclical "Laudato Si' on Care for Our Common Home." (CNS photo/Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development)

Vatican listens to ‘cry of poor, cry of the Earth’ during pandemic

May 18, 2020
By Cindy Wooden
Filed Under: Coronavirus, Environment, News, World News

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis’ vision of “integral human development” and “integral ecology” involves identifying the connections between the condition of human beings and the condition of the environment, said Cardinal Peter Turkson.

While Christians are right to be increasingly focused on “the cry of the Earth” and how environmental destruction impacts human life, with the COVID-19 pandemic “we must listen to the cry of the poor,” especially those risking starvation, the unemployed and migrants and refugees, said Cardinal Turkson, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

Cardinal Turkson is coordinating the work of the Vatican COVID-19 Commission and led an online news conference May 15 to discuss the commission’s progress.

“In one of the last meetings we had with Pope Francis, he asked us to ‘prepare the future,’ not ‘prepare for the future,’ but prepare it, anticipate it,” the cardinal said.

“Hardly any aspect of human life and culture is left unscathed” by the virus and efforts to stop its spread, the cardinal said. “Covid-19 started as a health care issue, but it has affected drastically the economy, jobs and employment, lifestyles, food security, the primary role of Artificial Intelligence and internet security, politics and even governance.”

Obviously, providing health care to victims of the virus is an urgent need, said the cardinal and other members of the commission.

Father Augusto Zampini, adjunct secretary of the dicastery, said that is one reason why Pope Francis called for international debt relief — it would help the world’s poorest countries redirect money from interest payments to ramping up their health services.

But another major issue the commission is looking at is the threat of a “hunger pandemic.”

At the beginning of 2020, before the coronavirus became a global pandemic, the U.N. World Food Program said 135 million people in 55 countries were facing “acute hunger” as a result chiefly of conflict, the effects of climate change and economic crises.

Now, with people out of work and supply chains interrupted, the WFP is warning that “the lives and livelihoods of 265 million people in low- and middle-income countries will be under severe threat.”

Still, Father Zampini said, changes in production and consumption patterns and in private and public actions can still make a difference, for example, by providing incentives to farmers to improve productivity in ways that also protect the environment and by encouraging all nations “to divert funds from weapons to food.”

Individuals also can contribute to alleviating food insecurity and protecting the environment by reducing food waste, eating food that is in season and avoiding products and packaging that pollute.

“COVID has shown that we do not need as many things as we think. We can be more with less,” he said.

Caritas Internationalis, the umbrella organization of national Catholic relief and development agencies, is part of the Vatican COVID-19 Commission and has created a COVID-19 Response Fund.

Aloysius John, Caritas secretary general, said the fund already has received 32 project requests and already approved and distributed funds to 14 of them, which aim to help 7.8 million people in Ecuador, India, Palestine, Bangladesh, Lebanon and Burkina Faso and eight other countries.

A big concern, which parish, diocesan and national Caritas agencies are responding to, he said, is the provision of basic food assistance, because people will not respect lockdown requirements if they have nothing at home to eat and no way to earn the money to buy it.

John also called on the international community to remove the economic sanctions on Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Libya and Venezuela “so that aid to the affected population can be guaranteed, and Caritas, through the church, can continue to play its role of support for the poor and most vulnerable.”

Also see:

Laudato Si’ Week is May 16-24

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Cindy Wooden

Catholic News Service is a leading agency for religious news. Its mission is to report fully, fairly and freely on the involvement of the church in the world today.

View all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Three more pro-life activists convicted on federal charges for blockade at abortion clinic
  • Archbishop Lori announces appointments, including three associate pastors
  • St. Maria Goretti High School faces uncertain future after difficult decision by archdiocese
  • Compensating all claims of abuse: Archdiocese considers Chapter 11 reorganization
  • Kicking up fun: Kickball tournament brings young adults together

| Latest Local News |

St. Maria Goretti High School faces uncertain future after difficult decision by archdiocese

Compensating all claims of abuse: Archdiocese considers Chapter 11 reorganization

Perfect harmony: Music internship program helps parishes in Western Maryland

| Latest World News |

Bishop Strickland will not resign, but says he will respect Pope Francis’ authority if removed

‘What’s going to happen?’: DACA ruling keeps ‘Dreamers’ in immigration limbo

Vatican asks U.N. Security Council to join efforts for peace in Ukraine

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • St. Maria Goretti High School faces uncertain future after difficult decision by archdiocese
  • Bishop Strickland will not resign, but says he will respect Pope Francis’ authority if removed
  • ‘¿Qué va a pasar?’: El fallo sobre DACA mantiene a los ‘Dreamers’ en el limbo legal
  • ‘What’s going to happen?’: DACA ruling keeps ‘Dreamers’ in immigration limbo
  • Vatican asks U.N. Security Council to join efforts for peace in Ukraine
  • Former Soviet political prisoners urge Jewish and Ukrainian unity amid WWII memorial row
  • Russia’s goal is to destroy population in Ukraine, Lviv bishop says after drone attack
  • Catholic high school teacher fired for covering up previous employment, sex services charges
  • New stage for U.S. seminarians focuses on human and spiritual formation

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2023 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED