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Top European economies in lockdown as virus spreads – Vatican News

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By Stefan J. Bos

During a turbulent session in the Bundestag, Germany’s Parliament. Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Germans to expect a “difficult winter.”

Merkel explained that she and the governors of Germany’s 16 states agreed upon new, far-reaching restrictions to curb the coronavirus’s spread.

Chancellor Merkel says the nation faces a dramatic situation at the beginning of the cold season in Germany. But she warns of populist views against the lockdown measures calling them irresponsible.”

Under the restrictions starting Monday, restaurants, bars, sports, beauty parlors and cultural venues will be shut for four weeks.

Groups of at most ten people, from a maximum of two households, will be allowed to meet in public. And all non-essential journeys will be discouraged. Churches, schools, and kindergartens will remain open, compared to the more severe shutdown Germany saw in March and April.

Many infections

Since the outbreak began this year, authorities and experts recorded nearly half a million COVID-19 infections and over 10,000 deaths on a population of some 80 million people.

Ahead of Germany, neighboring France prepared to resume life under a new lockdown. From Friday, people in France will only be allowed to leave home for essential work or medical reasons.

President Emmanuel Macron said the country risked being “overwhelmed by a second wave that no doubt will be harder than the first.”

“I have decided that it was necessary to return Friday to a lockdown that stopped the virus,” he added in televised remarks.

He said that under regulations for France, “nurseries schools, and high schools will remain open with strengthened sanitary protocols. Faculties and high education establishments must ensure online lessons. And everywhere possible, remote working will become generalized.”

Broader concerns

Germany and France’s measures underscore broader concerns in the European Union and Britain about the raging virus.

The president of the EU’s executive European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested that Europe will have a different Christmas this year. “We have been able in the first part of the year to reduce the spread of the virus effectively. But then we see that after the summer, the increase took place again partly expansionary,” she explained. However, “Now we can act with the experience of the first half of the year. So we will be in this for quoite a while,” Von der Leyen added.    

The EU is coordinating plans for a possible vaccine, but distribution may take time. Italy, Spain, France, and Britain were among the worst-hit European nations, imposing strict national lockdowns.

Some experts claim that this brought cases, hospital admissions, and deaths down to a very low level over time, but critics point out it ravaged economies.

Restrictions started to lift in the early summer, with non-essential shops, bars, restaurants reopening, and travel restarting. But in August, cases began to rise again, with a significant acceleration in recent weeks that has alarmed policymakers.

Aggressive action

Some experts have urged the Spanish government to take more aggressive action to curtail the latest infections there.

Countries that were not hit badly by the first wave – such as Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland – have not been spared this time. Officials warn of alarming infection rates across much of the continent.

Although for most people, COVID-19 causes only mild illness, it can make some people very ill.

More rarely, the disease can be fatal. Older people and those with pre-existing medical conditions (such as high blood pressure, heart problems, or diabetes) appear to be more vulnerable.

Listen to the report by Stefan Bos

Joint statement by the Members of European Council

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Juan Sanchez Gil
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Joint statement by the Members of European Council

We, European Leaders, are shocked and saddened by the terrorist attacks in France.

We condemn in the strongest possible terms these attacks which represent attacks on our shared values.

We stand united and firm in our solidarity with France, with the French people and the Government of France – in our common and continued fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

We call on Leaders around the world to work towards dialogue and understanding among communities and religions rather than division.

COVID-19: Taking stock and moving forward together

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COVID-19: Taking stock and moving forward together

Statement by the WHO Regional Director for Europe at an emergency meeting of ministers of health from the WHO European Region on COVID-19 projections for the winter season

29 October 2020, Copenhagen, Denmark

The latest epidemiological data concerns us.  

  • This week, the European Region registered the highest weekly incidence of COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, with over 1.5 million cases reported in the past 7 days. The total number of confirmed cases has moved from 7 to 9 million in just 14 days, and, today, Europe exceeded 10 million cases.
  • A very high 14-day incidence of over 200 cases per 100 000 population is being seen in a significant majority of European countries.
  • Hospitalizations have risen to levels unseen since the spring (over 10 per 100 000 population in a third of reporting countries in Europe).
  • Mortality has also taken a sharp ascent (a 32% increase across the Region last week). The virus has spread back into older and at-risk groups, and the youth exclusivity in the share of the spread no longer applies. Early all-cause mortality signals from some countries give a clear warning: we can quickly recede into significant excess mortality.
  • As testing systems have not kept pace in a context of very high-speed transmission, test positivity rates have reached new highs, with positivity levels exceeding 5% in a majority of European countries.

Europe is at the epicentre of this pandemic once again. At the risk of sounding alarmist, I must express our very real concern and convey our steadfast commitment to stand beside you and support you as best we can.

I convened this meeting to present an opportunity for you to express your most serious concerns and for us to collectively reflect and share experiences. I feel the seriousness of the situation warrants it.

Our partner, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), presented today to the 53 Member States of the WHO European Region projections for COVID-19 for the Region over the winter period. Although the projections are sobering, they also demonstrate modelling on the effectiveness of strategies that can help us to reduce the foreseen negative impact on our populations and our health systems.

The key question that many countries are asking is whether or not to lock down, and when does a lockdown become necessary?

We know that lockdowns, at the scale of those seen earlier this year, will cut community transmission and give the health system much needed space to recoup and scale up so that it can attend to severe COVID-19 cases and provide essential health services.

But we also know that full lockdowns will propel mental health-care demand and spur an increase in domestic violence while decreasing hospital attendance for chronic conditions, resulting in premature deaths from those conditions.

The indirect impact associated with people falling into financial hardship and turning to social security would result in further economic impact and extend economic recovery time. Given these realities, we consider national lockdowns a last-resort option because they bypass the still-existing possibility to engage everyone in basic and effective measures.
So-called lockdowns need not mean what they meant in March or April. As we collectively redefine what we mean by this rather unfortunate term, I would like to contribute some reflections and points that may serve to prompt our discussion.

First, there are several lessons we have learned.

We can take action that makes a difference and saves lives while maintaining livelihoods. Modelling by IHME suggests that the systematic and generalized wearing of masks (at a rate of 95% from now) may save up to 266 000 lives by 1 February across our 53 Member States in the Region.

The data also suggest that encouraging people to work from home where possible, restricting large gatherings and proportionately shutting down places where people gather can go a long way to preserve lives and livelihoods.

On the other hand, we are also confident that children and adolescents are not considered primary drivers of COVID-19 transmission. Therefore, school closures are not considered to be an effective single measure and should continue to be a measure of last resort.

Second, we cannot underestimate the impact that COVID-19 fatigue is having on the well-being of our communities and the effectiveness of our ongoing responses.

We need to engage citizens to help us create solutions. It’s important that we communicate to manage expectations in the coming season with empathy. Any actions that we take need to be viewed in terms of their effectiveness in slowing down transmission, but also in terms of their negative impacts. Effective communication using credible data projections and solutions based on science can help us to engage individuals, families and communities to support our efforts to control the pandemic as we head into a difficult winter.

Third, regarding our health workforce and system.

While in March the critical limiting factors were intensive care units, ventilators and personal protective equipment, today the single issue of greatest concern is the health workforce. Our health workforce is exhausted, people are burning out.

We have no COVID-19 response if we do not care for our health-care and essential workers: their needs and well-being must be prioritized.

These are exceptional times and they require decision-makers to go an extra mile in supporting the workforce, for example, by compensating their unused leave or allowing them to carry this leave to the next calendar year, and by providing additional support services to them and their families, including psychosocial support or child care.

Our systems require adaptation.

When we can no longer ramp up testing and tracing at scale, we need to assess where to focus our resources. Adapting testing and tracing so that they are used in a targeted way for maximum impact, focusing on the events that trigger highest spread within communities, may become necessary. But we cannot give up on these critical systems.

My last point is that while supporting an already-stretched health system, we must try to maintain a dual-track health system to minimize the effects of ongoing COVID-19 responses. Adequate resourcing (human and capital), stronger referral mechanisms and alternative service delivery platforms (digital) can all help us to achieve this goal.

We need to understand how close our health systems are to being overwhelmed, and here is where we need to improve the quality of the data available. In turn, this will enable us to improve the modelling scenarios.

It is time to draw on our reserves to communicate empathy and gratitude – gratitude to communities, to our health and essential workforce, to the general public, for their courage and resilience.

People need hope. At the heart of this is understanding, honesty and transparency.

We entered this pandemic together, we bear the hardship together, and there is no doubt in my mind that we will triumph together.

Local View: In pandemic, even religion, politics can be discussed — but not the Great Pumpkin

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Local View: In pandemic, even religion, politics can be discussed — but not the Great Pumpkin

While such topic avoidance was common practice before the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, the recent corresponding massive social upheavals have now forced the subjects of religion and politics to fuse together in most of our public discussions. But we no longer discuss issues like racism, social inequality, crime, police policies, law and order, or protests in an open and frank manner. Instead we put an absolutist religious framework on our civil life. We have divided all of our politics into “good” and “evil,” “right” or “wrong,” “blessed” and “damned.”

There is no middle ground anymore.

The gloves are off, and the battle for righteousness has begun. If one of our family members or friends or neighbors shows the slightest disagreement with our political position, we are all over them. In social media, for example, many, many people have stated most clearly that support for a candidate or movement they disagree with will result in a blocking or banning of the offender: “I cannot believe you support that insane candidate. They want to destroy our country! You are no longer my friend or a member of my family.”

Elections are about leadership and direction, not absolute truth or destiny. But the pandemic has increased political and religious fanaticism amongst even the most rational of us. They take their favorite candidate and give them divine right while their opponent is impugned with the characteristics of Satan. The new norm among all pandemic politicians is: “If you are not with us, you are against us.”

If the pandemic has shown nothing else, it has shown how closely intertwined our destinies are with one another. Each of us is a traveler on the same small ship. What norms should we follow to make our collective journey manageable?

On Feb. 15, 1840, The Corsair: A Gazette of Literature, Art, Dramatic Criticism, Fashion, and Novelty in New York published a letter by John Stager, who suggested 18 maxims to follow when on a steamer voyage. Number 12 was: “Never discuss religion or politics with those who hold opinions opposite to yours; they are subjects that heat in handling until they burn your fingers.”

I believe John Stager had it right over 180 years ago. We know the folks who hold opposite opinions. Why purposely go out of our way to engage them and burn our fingers?

That being said, I do agree that we should discuss sensitive social justice issues — and we have not been discussing them. Given our divisions, we are screaming at each other instead, at the top of our lungs, talking way past one another.

We need to come back to the dinner table for polite and meaningful conversation, understanding social equality is possible, change is possible, and a more equitable world is possible. But these possibilities can only be realized if we can talk in a peaceful, respectful, and reasonable manner with our family, friends, and neighbors. Each conversation is an opportunity to improve ourselves and our society.

We must step back and try to recreate a norm of civility and even levity.

My fellow native Minnesotan, cartoonist Charles Schulz, was right to infuse humor into the old adage when he had Linus state in both a 1961 “Peanuts” comic strip and in the 1966 classic animated “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” that, “There are three things I have learned not to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin.”

Happy Halloween and happy Election Day, everyone!

Dave Berger of Plymouth, Minnesota, is a retired sociology professor who taught for nearly three decades at Inver Hills Community College. He wrote this for the News Tribune.

Remarks by President Charles Michel following the EU-Canada Leaders’ meeting via videoconference

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Charles Mcihel in front medioa microphones
Photo from https://www.facebook.com/CharlesMichel

French and english text – – Avant toute chose, je voudrais exprimer l’émotion de l’Union européenne suite à ces nouvelles attaques terroristes qui ont été perpétrées en France.

Je voudrais dire notre solidarité avec la France, avec le peuple français. Je voudrais dire tout notre soutien pour les victimes, pour les familles des victimes. Et je voudrais dire qu’une fois encore, ce sont des attaques perpétrées contre la démocratie, contre les libertés et plus que jamais, nous devons être rassemblés, debout pour défendre ces valeurs qui nous rassemblent de démocratie, d’État de droit et de libertés fondamentales.

Nous avons eu l’occasion, lors de cette vidéoconférence avec la présidente de la Commission, le premier ministre du Canada, de passer en revue le partenariat et même l’alliance étroite, solide, robuste qui lie l’Union européenne et le Canada.

Au delà du partenariat, au delà de l’alliance, il y a des liens d’amitié solides qui nous rassemblent, Union européenne et Canada, parce que fondamentalement, nous constatons que nous partageons des valeurs communes, des valeurs centrales au départ desquelles notre vision du monde est inspirée: État de droit, droits de l’homme, la conviction que nous avons besoin d’un monde fondé sur des règles, le soutien au multilatéralisme, la conviction que les défis globaux doivent mobiliser des réponses générales et des réponses globales.

Nous avons eu encore une fois l’occasion, dans le détail, dans la substance, d’aborder les différents sujets au départ desquels nous entendons continuer à travailler étroitement ensemble pour resserrer nos liens et pour faire en sorte que ce socle robuste entre le Canada et l’Union européenne puisse avoir une valeur ajoutée utile au service d’un monde plus juste, au service d’un monde meilleur, au service d’un monde plus équitable.

Today we discussed three key areas of EU-Canada cooperation: Covid-19 and Economic Recovery, EU-Canada Relations and SOME international issues.

Today the world is at a crucial juncture – we see the resurgence of Covid-19 everywhere. So it’s natural that Covid-19 – and our economic recovery – were at the heart of our agenda. We are determined to fight the pandemic together – as a global community, in line with our values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

Our goal is two-fold: first, protect the health of our citizens and second, ensure an innovative, sustainable, and inclusive economic recovery. And there is one way to do this – through solidarity, cooperation and multilateralism. The work of the G7, the G20, and the United Nations are crucial to these efforts.

The EU and Canada also cooperate on Covid vaccines, treatments, and tests to make sure all people have fair and affordable access.

And we discussed strengthening the WHO, global pandemic preparedness and response, and the necessary reforms.

We welcome G20 efforts on debt relief to support the most affected low-income countries, especially in Africa.

This year we celebrate the third anniversary of the provisional entry into force EU-Canada Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). CETA has been good for both the EU and Canada.  Bilateral trade has increased by 24% for goods and 25% for services. And we hope for the swift ratification of CETA by ALL our Member States.

Climate change may not grab the headlines right now.  But it’s no less urgent today than yesterday. We stressed the urgency to step up global action to tackle climate change. The EU and Canada share the common goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. And our economic recovery offers a unique opportunity for a “Green Reset” of our economies.

We also highlighted our close collaboration on our digital transformation. We work together to ensure that Artificial Intelligence and other digital technologies play a role in our Covid-19 recovery.

We also discussed a range of foreign policy and security issues – including China, Belarus, Nagorno-Karabakh, Eastern Mediterranean, Sahel and Venezuela. The EU and Canada see eye to eye on these issues.

Specifically on China, we have serious concerns about the human rights situation in China, including the arbitrary detention of EU and Canadian citizens.

Strong transatlantic relations are critical to address today’s geopolitical challenges and uphold the rules-based global order that we both cherish.

We also agreed to cooperate in protecting our democratic systems against cyber-attacks and disinformation.

Our EU-Canada relationship is strong, anchored in the values of democracy, human rights, and multilateralism. And we look forward to expanding our cooperation at our next Summit, when conditions allow. Thank you.

France : la BEI investit 75 millions d’euros dans le fonds INFRAGREEN IV

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Juan Sanchez Gil
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France : la BEI investit 75 millions d’euros dans le fonds INFRAGREEN IV
©Unsplash

La confiance de la Banque européenne d’investissement renouvelée avec 75 millions d’euros d’investissements

RGREEN INVEST, société de gestion française dédiée au investissement et au financement de projets d’infrastructures liés à la transition énergétique et l’adaptation aux changements climatiques, annonce ce jour le 3ème closing de sa stratégie INFRAGREEN IV. Le fonds, dont le montant total est porté à 480 millions d’euros, est sur le point d’atteindre son objectif de taille de 500 millions d’euros.

RGREEN INVEST ambitionne de continuer à lever des fonds jusqu’à la fin de la période de souscription  (mars 2021) pour parvenir au montant maximal réglementaire (hard cap) de 650 millions d’euros. L’objectif : continuer de financer et soutenir de nombreux projets à travers l’Europe. A date, ce sont plus de 150 millions d’euros du fonds INFRAGREEN IV qui sont investis et engagés dans des projets d’infrastructure européens, et notamment français, permettant de réduire les émissions de CO2.

« Le soutien renouvelé de la Banque européenne d’investissement est, en cette période d’incertitude, un gage de confiance particulièrement précieux », commente Nicolas Rochon, Président-fondateur d’RGREEN INVEST. « Les investisseurs privés, qui continuent de croire en la transition énergétique et l’adaptation au changement climatique, ont besoin de voir que les institutions publiques respectent leurs engagements à faire de la transition écologique et climatique une priorité », poursuit-il. 

« En tant que banque européenne du climat, nous sommes très fiers de soutenir RGREEN INVEST dont l’ambition en matière climatique rejoint celle de la BEI. » a déclaré Ambroise Fayolle, Vice-Président de la BEI. Et de rajouter : « Par ce nouvel engagement, notre objectif est d’attirer de nombreux investisseurs au niveau européen pour développer des projets d’infrastructures innovants et durables. En agissant ainsi, nous préparons l’avenir. Nous soutenons les futurs champions de la transition énergétique. » 

La BEI renouvelle sa confiance à RGREEN INVEST en investissant 75 millions d’euros dans INFRAGREEN IV

La BEI qui est la Banque de l’Union européenne (UE) a investi 75 millions d’euros dans le fonds INFRAGREEN IV. Cet investissement répond pleinement aux priorités d’action de la BEI qui soutient la transition vers une économie sobre en carbone, respectueuse de l’environnement et capable de résister aux changements climatiques. Elle est aujourd’hui le premier bailleur multilatéral au monde en matière de transition énergétique.

La BEI avait déjà investi 50 millions d’euros lors du lancement du fonds INFRAGREEN III, clôturé en  décembre 2018 au-dessus de ses objectifs de levée de capital, pour un montant de 307 millions d’euros.

INFRAGREEN IV, fonds de soutien au développement des énergies renouvelables en Europe

INFRAGREEN IV, lancé en décembre 2019, investit en fonds propres et quasi-fonds propres dans des projets d’infrastructure liés à la transition énergétique et climatique. Ces projets greenfield et brownfield sont localisés et opèrent essentiellement dans l’Espace Economique Européen. Le fonds INFRAGREEN IV est labellisé « Greenfin Label France Finance Verte ».

Informations générales

A propos d’RGREEN INVEST :

Société de gestion française indépendante du groupe RGREEN, créé en 2010 par Nicolas Rochon, RGREEN INVEST est la société de gestion française, indépendante, spécialisée dans le financement d’infrastructures vertes. Premier acteur à proposer une gamme complète de solutions de financement sur-mesure, RGREEN INVEST est au service des acteurs de la transition énergétique en Europe.

Avec une vingtaine de professionnels expérimentés, RGREEN INVEST dispose d’une des plus importantes équipes de spécialistes du financement de projets d’infrastructures liés à la transition énergétique et climatique en France. Soucieux des enjeux climatiques, intégrant l’ESG au cœur même de ses critères d’investissements, RGREEN INVEST permet ainsi aux investisseurs institutionnels de participer à la transition énergétique tout en partageant avec eux la performance financière.

Avec plus d’1 Md€ sous gestion, RGREEN INVEST a ainsi financé des projets en France et en Europe, équivalent à une puissance installée de plus d’1,6 GW évitant ainsi près 550 000 tonnes d’émission de CO2 (selon un calcul interne de RGREEN INVEST).

Avertissements

INFRAGREEN IV est un Fonds Professionnel Spécialisé (FPS) sous forme de Société de Libre Partenariat (SLP) de droit Français, déclaré à l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers et dont la souscription est réservée exclusivement à des investisseurs professionnels (sous conditions) conformément au règlement du fonds. Le fonds est actuellement autorisé à la commercialisation en France, en Belgique, en Allemagne, en Espagne, au RoyaumeUni, en Italie, au Luxembourg et aux Pays-Bas. Le Fonds est notamment exposé au risque de marché, au risque de crédit, au risque d’illiquidité, au risque lié aux projets, au risque de conformité, au risque juridique et réglementaire, au risque financier, et aux risques opérationnels liés à la transition énergétique. Ce document est communiqué à titre d’information uniquement. Il est mis à disposition pour fournir des informations préliminaires sur le Fonds et est susceptible de faire l’objet de mises à jour, compléments d’information, révisions et vérifications sans avis préalables. Ce document ne constitue pas une invitation, un conseil ou une recommandation de souscrire, acquérir ou céder des parts émises ou à émettre par le Fonds ou tout autre véhicule d’investissement. Il convient de rappeler aux destinataires de ce document qui seraient intéressés par un investissement dans le Fonds, qu’une telle souscription de part ne peut se faire que sur la base des informations contenues dans la version finale de la documentation du Fonds et qui peuvent différer des éléments produits ici. Aucune garantie n’est donnée sur la validité, l’exactitude, la pérennité ou l’exhaustivité de l’information mentionnée ou induite dans ce document ou toute autre information fournie en rapport avec le Fonds.

RGREEN INVEST Société de gestion de portefeuille agréée par l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers n°GP-15000021. Société par actions simplifiée dont le siège social est situé à Paris, au 63 Avenue des Champs-Élysées, et immatriculée au Registre du commerce et des sociétés de Paris sous le numéro 797 827 995.

À propos de la Banque européenne d’investissement

En tant que banque européenne du climat, la BEI a décidé d’augmenter les financements de projets qu’elle soutient à l’appui des objectifs climatiques et environnementaux pour les porter à 50 % de son activité d’ici à 2025, de sorte que le Groupe BEI mobilise au moins 1 000 milliards d’EUR d’ici à 2030 pour promouvoir des investissements qui contribuent à la réalisation de ces objectifs. Elle a également fait part de sa décision d’aligner toutes les activités du Groupe BEI sur l’accord de Paris. Pour ce faire, elle cessera de financer des projets à base de combustibles fossiles à partir de fin 2021.

En France, en 2019, la BEI a consacré 47 % de ses financements – soit 3,28 milliards d’euros –  à la lutte contre le changement climatique.

Millions affected as devastating typhoon strikes Viet Nam

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big waves under cloudy sky
Photo by GEORGE DESIPRIS on Pexels.com

A major typhoon has struck central Viet Nam, affecting millions of people – including about 2.5 million children – in a region already reeling from the effects of severe floods, according to UN agencies in the country. 

There are also reports that 174 people have died or are missing. 

Storm Molave, which made landfall at around 11 am local time on Wednesday, is one of the strongest storms to hit the southeast Asian nation in 20 years.

The resulting “extreme rainfall” could continue over the coming days, worsening the already precarious situation faced by many families, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement. 

 “For the affected populations, their homes remain severely damaged, their food stocks have been lost, they have no access to clean water for drinking, washing and cooking; and water and sanitation systems have been damaged,” said the agency. 

Evacuation centres flooded

Thousands have been moved to evacuation centres, which are themselves flooded, resulting in difficult health and hygiene conditions for the displaced people, primarily women, children and elderly. Health centres have also been damaged, leaving without to access basic health care services. 

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== Millions affected as devastating typhoon strikes Viet Nam
UNICEF/Pham/AFP-Services | A woman carries her child as she walks past the ruins of a house destroyed by recent floods central Viet Nam. (October 2020)​

“Added to this is the trauma of the violent storms and rushing waters, that for a population where many cannot swim, creates fear and impacts mental wellbeing,” UNICEF added. 

The storm has also damaged vital infrastructure, including electricity and roads, leaving many communities cut off from assistance and protection. 

Affected populations 

An estimated 7.7 million people live in the affected areas, including as many as 1.5 million who have been “directly affected”, the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam said in a humanitarian  update late Wednesday. 

Of these, some 177,000 people considered vulnerable (poor or near-poor), should be prioritized for urgent humanitarian assistance, it added. 

Response 

According to the Resident Coordinator’s Office, UN agencies and partners are developing and will release a multi-sector response plan, within the coming days, to support emergency relief efforts. 

In the immediate term, UNICEF has mobilized to provide emergency water, nutrition, sanitation, education and protection support, it said in the statement. It is also coordinating with Government agencies and humanitarian actors to reach the most vulnerable and those most affected. 

The Vietnamese army has also deployed troops and vehicles for search and rescue missions. 

Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher Appointed Next Secretary General of World Evangelical Alliance

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Deerfield, IL – October 29, 2020

The International Council (IC) of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Thomas Schirrmacher as the next Secretary General / CEO. Bringing many years of experience serving in various roles in the WEA, Dr Schirrmacher was recommended by the Search Committee from among more than a dozen candidates, and unanimously affirmed by the IC on a conference call on October 27. He will assume leadership of the WEA on March 1, 2021.

In a letter announcing the appointment to WEA’s constituency, Dr Goodwill Shana, Chair of the International Council, said: “Thomas will be known to many of you, as he has served in the WEA for many years. He enjoys working with groups of diverse people and seeing people work together to advance the aims of the WEA. He is committed to building partnerships and seeing WEA contribute to the development of the global Christian community.”

“He has a great deal of experience that we believe will benefit the WEA and we are very happy to appoint such a gifted person,” Dr Shana continued and added: “We have every confidence that Thomas is able to lead WEA at this point in our life and history and with great vision for the future. We will continue to covet your prayers and support in ensuring that this very significant step proceeds smoothly and results in the strengthening of the WEA and the proclamation of the gospel around the world.”

Outgoing Secretary-General Bp Efraim Tendero commented: “It is with great joy that I will be handing over the stewardship of the WEA to Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher early next year, the person who is best prepared to lead the global body of evangelicals into the future. As we have partnered together in the WEA Senior Leadership Team for several years, I saw in him the charisma, competence, and capacity that is matched by the character, conviction and calling from God that are needed for such a global task. I have full confidence that he will lead the WEA as empowered by the Holy Spirit in advancing the Good news of the Lord Jesus Christ to all nations, and effecting personal, family and community transformation for the glory of God.”

Upon his appointment, Dr Schirrmacher said: “I am humbled that so many esteemed leaders are putting their trust in me. Having been part of the leadership for a long time, I already feel very much at home in the WEA. Beside all my academic and socio-political involvement, the center of my convictions has always been the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ for each individual and the whole world. And I see WEA as the best place to serve the Church. I feel safe in the assurance that I am carried by the prayer of millions of believers and knowing that I am standing on the big shoulders of my predecessors.”

About Dr Thomas Schirrmacher:

Dr Thomas SchirrmacherDr Schirrmacher has served in various roles in the WEA since 1999, and is currently the WEA’s Associate Secretary General for Theological Concerns. Prior to this, he was a member of the Religious Liberty Commission, developed the International Institute for Religions Freedom, built up WEA’s Office for Intrafaith and Interfaith Relations, is Chair of WEA’s Theological Commission, and WEA’s Ambassador for Human Rights.

Dr Schirrmacher studied theology at colleges in Switzerland, the United States, Netherlands and also received a degree from India. He holds several degrees in various disciplines and a number of earned doctorates to his name. He was pastor and co-pastor of local churches in the Bonn area from 1982 – 2000 and, in 2015, was consecrated as an episcopal leader serving the Communio Messianica, a global body of believers from another faith background. He also taught theology and trained future pastors from 1982 – 2018.

Dr Schirrmacher has a great concern for the persecuted church and, with others, started the WEA’s International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP).

Dr Thomas Schirrmacher is married to Dr Christine Schirrmacher. Together they have two adult children and currently live in Bonn, Germany. Christine is a professor of Islamic Studies at the Universities of Bonn and Leuven as well as serving WEA as Commissioner for Islamic Affairs.

Ireland: Church leaders and Prime Minister discuss Covid impact – Vatican News

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Ireland: Church leaders and Prime Minister discuss Covid impact - Vatican News

By Vatican News

In discussions with the Irish Prime Minister or Taoiseach, Michael Martin on Wednesday evening, Archbishops Eamon Martin, Diarmuid Martin, Michael Neary, Kieran O’Reilly SMA and Bishop Dermot Farrell emphasized their support for the current health measures in place.

Importance of prayer and worship

However, they highlighted that “the coming together in prayer and worship, especially for Mass and the Sacraments, is fundamental to Christian tradition and a source of nourishment for the life and well-being of whole communities.” They also stressed the importance of gathering for worship “as a source of consolation and hope at Christmas time.”

The Church and safety measures

In a statement issued following the meeting, the Archbishops underlined “the mammoth effort that has been made by priests and volunteers at parish level to ensure that gatherings in Church are as safe as possible and the consistent messaging from the Church about the protection of health and life for all in the community, particularly the vulnerable.”

Ireland is currently in lockdown, and pastoral work continues at parish level even as the celebration of Mass is moved on-line.

The statement noted that during the meeting, “The challenges of those suffering bereavement at this time were acknowledged, particularly as we enter the traditional time of remembrance in the month of November.”

The Archbishops also emphasized the need to protect the most vulnerable in society at this time, and  “the positive value” of keeping schools open.

Solidarity and engagement

The statement concluded by saying that all parties recognized “the need for a shared understanding of the effects of the pandemic as it evolves and to align our response accordingly. All agreed on the importance of ongoing constructive engagement and solidarity in facing and overcoming the challenges of Covid-19 together.”

Pope expresses condolences for the death of Cardinal Fernandez – Vatican News

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Pope expresses condolences for the death of Cardinal Fernandez - Vatican News

By Vatican News staff writer 

Having learned “with sadness” of the death of Cardinal Anthony Soter Fernandez, Pope Francis expresses his “heartfelt condolences” in a letter to Archbishop Julian Leow Beng Kim, the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, and to the “clergy, religious and laity of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur.” 

In his letter, the Pope prays for the Cardinal’s “eternal rest”, expressing his gratitude for his “faithful witness to the Gospel, his generous service to the Church in Malaysia and his longstanding commitment to the promotion of ecumenism and interreligious dialogue.”

Finally, the Pope writes that “to all who mourn the late Cardinal’s passing in the sure hope of the Resurrection I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of consolation and peace in Jesus Christ our Saviour.”

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