"To have a different opinion does not mean to be an enemy. It is precisely from the contrast of opinions that the light comes," says Zimbabwe's Catholic bishops in the face of government suppresion of any form of dissent or criticism of its rulers' failings.
“To insist on debt repayment in the face of the suffering caused by this pandemic would be an affront to the faith traditions that we represent. There is an overarching moral case for debt relief in many faiths,” state the bishops and religious leaders in the UK.
The World Food Programme says that COVID fall-out threatens famines of ‘biblical proportions’, with an additional 265 million people possibly facing starvation by the end of 2020.
“More than 800 million people in the world suffer from severe levels of food insecurity” – Minister Michael Creed.
Pope Francis urged people to “commit not to stop at making statements, but also to provide concrete food aid and to allow it to reach suffering populations.”
Chair of Trócaire, Bishop William Crean, expresses “grave concern” for the 1.7 million Syrian refugees dependent on World Food Programme voucher scheme.
