COVID-19 is posing potential catastrophic impacts on people living with HIV and tuberculosis (TB) , with projected deaths to increase up to 10, 20 and 36 per cent for HIV, TB and malaria patients, respectively, over the next five years, according to UNAIDS, the UN agency dedicated to tackling the virus.

“Countries must ensure that everyone is able to receive essential services, including health care, and they must invest adequately in social protection programmes to keep people safe and to shield them from the consequences of losing their livelihoods,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS.

The most impacted

The highly disadvantaged will be most gravely impacted, particularly those in countries already afflicted by conflict, economic or climate crises. 

And refugees are among the groups facing the greatest dangers. 

At the same time, some 150 million full-time jobs were lost in the first quarter of the year and millions of other people are set to lose their livelihoods in the months ahead.

“Today, only 29 per cent of the world’s population has access to adequate social protection coverage,” said Guy Ryder, Director General of the International Labour Organization (ILO). 

“Governments must act to ensure the sustainability of livelihoods, businesses and jobs and the protection of workers’ health, rights and incomes during and after COVID-19”.

A case for women

Women are particularly vulnerable to the economic crisis. 

Disproportionately employed in the informal sectors, they are most likely to lose their incomes. 

Comprising 70 per cent of the health and social care workforce, they are also often employed on the frontline of the COVID-19 response.

Furthermore, women carry out the bulk of unpaid domestic duties in the home, childcare and other caring functions.

And with the lockdown triggering and increase in gender-based violence, it is imperative for Governments to invest in social protection programmes designed specifically for women and girls, UNAIDS said.

Countries need to live up to their commitment for social protection for everyone who needs it — UNICEF chief

Youth in crosshairs

School closures, which have affected more than 90 per cent of the world’s student population, have not only interrupted education but also pupils’ access to crucial social services, such as school meals.

“Children and young people are suffering disproportionately from the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis,” said Henrietta H. Fore, Executive Director of the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF. 

“Before the outbreak, two-out-of-three children had no or inadequate social protection fund.” 

Moreover, the socio-economic crash caused by the pandemic is placing an entire generation of young people at risk. 

“Countries need to live up to their commitment for social protection for everyone who needs it,” she added.

Call for action

The call for Governments to invest adequately in social protection programmes is endorsed by UNAIDS, UNICEF and the International Labour Organization (ILO) and supported by the World Food Programme (WFP), the Office of the  UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Bank.

By Devin Watkins

The memorial to victims of Nazism and Stalinism cuts right to the heart of the tiny Catholic Church in Estonia.

The EU member state’s first Catholic bishop following the Reformation was deported to the Soviet Union in 1942. Archbishop Eduard Profittlich died in a Soviet prison in hatred of the faith, like many other Estonians.

The nation recalled those numerous victims with a solemn ceremony in the capital, Tallinn, on Sunday.

Bishop Philippe Jourdan, the Apostolic Administrator of Estonia, spoke to Vatican Radio about the Day of Remembrance.

Tributes to fallen family members

Bishop Jourdan said the ceremony took place at the new Memorial to the Victims of Communism.

The names of 22,000 Estonians are inscribed there, in tribute to their deaths during the deportations of 1940.

“For a small country like Estonia, that’s quite a lot,” said Bishop Jourdan. “In almost every Estonian family there is at least one person who died.”

The Soviet Union occupied Estonia in June 1940, and vast numbers of people were deported, many because they were ethnic Germans.

Refusing to flee

Archbishop Eduard Profittlich was one of the unfortunate ones. He had received orders from Soviet authorities to return to Germany.

But he refused to abandon his Catholic flock, and chose to stay in Tallinn, despite the obvious risks.

Archbishop Profittlich was arrested on 27 June 1941 and sent to a Soviet prison camp. He died from exposure and starvation in Kirov prison on February 22, 1942.

Bishop Jourdan noted that his predecessor’s cause for beatification is currently under review in Rome.

“I would say it is coming along at a good pace,” he said, “because we received the ‘Decree of Validity’ from the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints in June.”

That means the documents which have been gathered over the past 17 years regarding the Servant of God Profittlich are sufficient and complete.

Recognizing tragic moment in history

Bishop Jourdan expressed his hopes that the Pope will one day clear the way for Profittlich’s beatification.

“It’s important for the Catholic Church here in Estonia, because he would be our first saint,” he said.

Since Archbishop Profittlich shared in the tragic fate of so many Estonians, his beatification would mean quite a lot to even secular Estonian society.

“It’s a way for the universal Church to recognize what happened here in those years,” he concluded. “It’s important for all our families that this part of our history would be recognized.”

By Vatican News

The newly formed Vatican John Paul I Foundation released a statement on Wednesday. It states that on the 42nd anniversary of Pope John Paul I’s pontificate, they are pleased to communitate the members of the Foundation’s Ccientific Committee.

These persons were appointed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State and President of the new Foundation, during a meeting of the Administrative Board that took place on 3 July.

The people who make up this Scientific Committee will serve for a five-year period.

Dr Stefania Falasca, Vice President of the Foundation, will coordinate the new Scientific Committee which is made up of:

• Professor Carlo Ossola, Philology Professor, Collège de France, Paris

• Professor Dario Vitali, Director of the Department of Dogmatic Theology, Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome

• Msgr. Gilfredo Marengo, Vice President of Rome’s Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences

• Professor Mauro Velati, collaborator of the John XXIII Foundation for Religious Sciences and the cause of canonization of John Paul I relating to the Venetian years.

• Fr Diego Sartorelli, Director of the Library and Historical Archive of the Patriarchate of Venice

• Dr Loris Serafini, Archivist, Director of the Albino Luciani Museum in Canale d’Agordo

The statement also reads that the Prefect of the Vatian’s Apostolic Archives, Bishop Sergio Pagano, and the Prefect of the Vatican’s Apostolic Library, Fr Cesare Pasini, will also play a role on the Scientific Committee.

By Vatican News

Speaking to reporters, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said, “[We] respectfully request our spiritual leaders to bring this much-needed message of hope to our suffering countrymen in order to stave off more incidents of self-destruction.”

The Justice Secretary, who is also a member of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), said they had asked the  Catholic Church and other denominations for their assistance to provide counseling and guidance to those suffering from depression and distress as the pandemic continues.

Minister Guevarra said he had spoken with Secretary Carlito Galvez, chief implementer of the IATF national task force, about “the alarming increase in the number of suicides during these pandemic times.”

Challenging times

The rise in suicides and depression is being blamed on the economic fallout due to the pandemic.  The period of lockdown has also led to feelings of isolation and anxiety.

The World Health Organisation describes mental health as “a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and can make a contribution to his or her community.”

According to the WHO, there has been a drastic increase in mental health disorders in the country since the start of the outbreak.

In a recent study, the health body said, “Thinking of whether life will ever return to normal, and how one will survive amid the pandemic, are some of the questions making ordinary Filipinos very anxious.”

“Likewise, questions like how will one survive economically and financially amid a pandemic; the sudden changes in everyday life and how to cope with them; the unremitting fear of being infected, the fear of dying from the virus, or the fear that a family member or relative might be infected with COVID-19 and die, and the fear of not being able to receive medical treatment in time are also playing on the minds of many Filipinos.”

As part of its public health response, WHO says it “has worked with partners to develop a set of new materials on the mental health and psychosocial support aspects of COVID-19.”

Covid Hopeline already in place

One diocese that is already providing assistance to those struggling with anxiety and depression in these uncertain times is the Diocese of Kaloohan in Metro Manila which has set up a phone in counseling service known as “Covid Hopeline”.

During the months of lockdown in the Philippines, the National Centre for Mental Health reported a significant increase in the number of people experiencing mental health issues as a result of the pandemic.

By Vatican News

One of the shortest pontificates in history could bring to the honour of the altars another pope of the 20th century.  John Paul I lived only 34 days on the Chair of Peter, but his testimony – not only in that short period of time, but more so in the previous decades as bishop and pastor, esteemed even outside the Italian borders – remains very tangible in the Church even today.

It was 42 years ago that Albino Luciani, the Patriarch of Venice, was elected pope on the fourth ballot on August 26, 1978, and assumed the double name “John Paul”, in homage to his immediate predecessors, John XXIII and Paul VI.  The former appointed him Bishop of Vittorio Veneto, thus including him among the Fathers of the Council; while the latter transferred him to Venice and created him cardinal.

The “Smiling Pope”

The month-long pontificate of John Paul I earned for him from the media the title, “the Smiling Pope”. The world came to learn that the mild character that his expression revealed was never an indication of a lack of spiritual clarity and pastoral energy.  Proof of this was his attitude and the work he did at the Second Vatican Council.  

Breath of the Universal Church

During the working sessions of the Council, the future pope lived an intense experience of the Universal Church. “In the Council hall,” he wrote to the faithful of his diocese in 1963, “it is enough for me to raise my eyes to the steps in front of me.”  “There they are, the beards of missionary bishops, the black faces of Africans, the protruding cheekbones of Asians.”  “And it’s enough for me to exchange a few words with them, and visions and needs open up, of which we have no idea”.  In other words, one feels the breath of “Christian optimism”, which promises to be the fruit of the Council, against the “widespread pessimism” of relativistic culture.

Towards beatification

The cause of the sainthood of John Paul I has been underway since 2003. After three years of the diocesan phase, the documents arrived in Rome in 2006, and the “positio” (formal argument for sainthood) of Pope Luciani began to be examined by experts at the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. A meticulous investigation of the testimonies and documents led to the conclusion of the case in November 2017. A miracle that will clear him for beatification is currently being examined. It concerns a presumed extraordinary healing through the intercession of John Paul I that took place in 2011 in Argentina, in the Diocese of Buenos Aires. 

By Vatican News

In his greetings to Polish-speaking faithful during the weekly General Audience, Pope Francis took note of the feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa, honoured as the Queen and Protectress of Poland.

Recalling his own visit to the Shrine of Jasna Gora during his visit to Poland for World Youth Day in 2016, the Holy Father said, “I unite myself today to the thousands upon thousands of pilgrims who are gathered there, together with the Polish episcopate, to entrust themselves, their families, the nation, and all of humanity to her maternal protection.”

Pope Francis invited the faithful gathered at the Shrine to “pray to the Blessed Mother to intercede for us all, especially for those who in different ways are suffering from the [Covid-19] pandemic, and bring them relief.”

The Polish Episcopal Conference met together at Poland’s national shrine ahead of their 386^th Plenary Assembly, which formally opens on Thursday in Jasna Gora. It is the first plenary meeting held this year, as earlier gatherings scheduled for March and June were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A sign of God’s grace in dark times

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary goes back to the earliest days of Christianity in Poland, says Father Michal Legan, spokesman for the Jasna Gora Sanctuary. “It was the most important sign of the Lord’s grace during the very, very difficult history, even in the darkest moments of our national history,” he said in an interview with Vatican Media’s Emanuela Campanile. “Even in the darkest hours of the personal story of each of us, she was present, and she was the point of the hope and of the faith,” he said.

“She’s the most important way to Jesus” for each of us, he added.

Entrusted to Our Lady of Czestochowa

Father Legan said that throughout the pandemic, the people of Poland “are looking to Our Lady with faith and prayer, with all our hopes.” That, he said, “is why the Polish episcopate is gathered here during the feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa, to proclaim the act of devotion an act of love and hope,” to express to the Madonna “that we of the nation are her children and we want her as our queen.”

Father Legan noted that, during his visit to Jasna Gora four years ago, Pope Francis said Poland had a great privilege, “because we have our mother as the queen, and our queen as the mother.”

Prayer to the Blessed Mother during the pandemic

Poles have felt the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary and have turned to her in prayer throughout the coronavirus crisis. Father Legan noted that the sanctuary has seen far fewer pilgrims since the beginning of the pandemic. But even if the faithful are not able to come to Jasna Gora, he said, there is still a special, spiritual bond, “with the sanctuary, with the holy icon, and this is something we know deeply in our hearts.”

That is why “we pray every day to our Black Madonna for all the people who are sick, and for all who work” in the field of medicine.

And, he said, “we can assure you that here in the Sanctuary of Our Lady, this prayer, will be continued.”

By Vatican News

On the second day of the Republican party convention, First Lady Melania Trump took to the podium against the backdrop of the White House Rose Garden, making a plea for racial harmony.

Her speech came amid racial unrest that has engulfed the country since the death of black man, George Floyd, who was pinned under the knee of a white police officer in Minnesota.

Only this week there were more protests after another black man was shot and left paralyzed by police in Wisconsin.

Racial Unity

“I urge people to come together in a civil manner so we can work and live up to our standard American ideals,” Mrs Trump said.

She also called on people to stop the “violence and looting being done in the name of justice and never make assumptions based on the colour of a person’s skin.”

“Like all of you”, the First Lady said, “I have reflected on the racial unrest in our country.”

“It is a harsh reality that we are not proud of parts of our history. I encourage you to focus on the future while still learning from the past.”

Coronavirus

In her speech, Melania Trump also expressed her sympathy for victims of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My deepest sympathy”, she said, “goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one.”

“And my prayers are with those who are ill or suffering. I know many people are anxious and some feel helpless. I want you to know: You’re not alone.”

The novel coronavirus has killed more than 178,000 people in the U.S. and the President’s wife acknowledged that since March “our lives have changed drastically.”

Of her husband, Mrs Trump said, “you have a president who will not stop fighting for you and your families.” 

In her role as First Lady over the last four years, Melania Trump has promoted a number of causes including the “Be Best” public awareness campaign, which focuses on well-being for youth, and advocating against cyberbullying and drug (particularly opioid) use.

This second day of the convention also featured President Trump’s children Eric and Tiffany as well as a pre-recorded appearance by US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.