Advertisement
COVID-19
“It is unwise to open churches at this time for public worship”: South African Archbishop
Days after two Local Ordinaries in South Africa announced the postponement of the reopening of churches in their jurisdictions, the Archbishop of Cape Town has also made a similar announcement, saying it is unwise to gather amid increasing COVI-19 infections in the country.
South Africa’s Durban and Klerksdorp Dioceses Postpone Reopening of Churches
Days after the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa announced the possible resumption of public worship beginning June 1, a move the Catholic Bishops in the country supported, the Archbishop of Durban and the Bishop of Klerksdorp diocese have decided to postpone the reopening of the places of worship in their respective jurisdictions to allow for adequate preparations, including awareness workshops for Priests.
Ghanaian President Calls for Prayers Ahead of Resumption of Public Worship
With Ghanaian institutions including schools and places of worship set to resume their public activities starting Friday, June 5, the country’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has appealed to religious leaders in the West African country to use their first day of worship to pray for the nation.
Violence in DR Congo Worsening Humanitarian Situation, Catholic Relief Agency Cautions
The reported increase in violence in the Province of Ituri of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is worsening an already dire humanitarian situation in the region, which is covered by the Catholic Diocese of Bunia, an official of Malteser International (MI) has cautioned.
Why South Sudanese Archbishop Advocates for New Burial Traditions amid COVID-19
The Archbishop of Juba in South Sudan has called for a shift in burial traditions of people suspected to have died of COVID-19, calling on the citizens in the country to observe minimal contact with the bodies to avoid contagion.
Bishops in Africa Concerned about COVID-19 Crisis, Appeal for Stakeholder Involvement
Bishops in Africa through their common forum, the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) have expressed concerns about the challenge COVID-19 pandemic poses for the people of God and institutions on the continent and appealed for individual and collective responsibilities from various stakeholders on the continent and beyond in the fight against the disease.
“We need to run to Mary for Protection” amid COVID-19: Ghanaian Cleric at Marian Rally
As Catholics across the globe joined Pope Francis Saturday, May 30 to pray the holy rosary to conclude the liturgical month of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a Cleric in Ghana has urged Catholics to pray for Mary’s intercession for an end to COVID-19 pandemic in the West African nation and in the whole world.
“This is not the time to make unreasonably high profits”: Bishops in Kenya
Bishops in the East African nation of Kenya have appealed to business owners and landlords to make sacrifices for the common good and not use the current COVID-19 related restrictions to exploit ordinary citizens, making “unreasonably high profits.”
Why an International Catholic Charity Finds COVID-19 Projects in Africa “most impressive”
The Catholic charity organization, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International says that pastoral projects, which the Church in Africa is implementing during the COVID-19 crisis are the most impressive due to the devotion demonstrated by the religious in caring for the vulnerable groups who have been adversely affected by the pandemic.
Jesuit Refugee Service Reaches out to Students in Uganda’s Community-based Schools
The international refugee organization of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), the Jesuit Refugee Service, (JRS) is supporting the construction of new community-based secondary schools in Africa’s largest refugee host nation, Uganda.
Bishops in Mozambique's Nampula Province “deeply concerned about violence in Cabo Delgado”
Bishops serving in the Ecclesiastical Province of Nampula in Mozambique are “deeply concerned” about the “mysterious and incomprehensible” conflict in the region of Cabo Delgado located in the northern part of the country and call on the warring parties to chart the way to peace “through tolerance, political dialogue and respect for the dignity and rights of every human being.”
Salesian Missions Facilitating Sanitation Infrastructure at a Catholic School in Tanzania
The U.S.-based development arm of the Religious Institute of the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), Salesian Missions is funding the construction of sanitation facilities at Don Bosco Didia Secondary school in Tanzania’s Shinyanga Diocese through the "Clean Water Initiative.”
Kenyan Government Engages Catholic Church Leaders on Resuming Public Worship
Catholic Bishops in Kenya will be meeting in “coming days” to define a way that will see the lifting of the ban on public worship in the East African country after a successful engagement with the government that took place early this week, ACI Africa has been told in an interview.
Amid Crisis, “Priests to be messengers of hope”: Cameroonian Bishop at Chrism Mass
The need for priests to be messengers of hope especially during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis has been emphasized at the celebration of the previously postponed Chrism Mass in Cameroon’s Diocese of Kumbo.
Germany-based Aid Agency Supporting Establishment of Catholic Radio in Mozambique
The Catholic pastoral aid organization, Aid to the Church (ACN) International is fostering evangelization initiatives at the grassroots by providing a financial subsidy toward the establishment of a radio substation in the diocese of Quelimane located in the East-central part of Mozambique, the leadership of the Germany-based agency has announced.
Plan to Reopen Places of Worship in South Africa Draws Mixed Reactions from Church Leaders
The announcement by South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa May 26 that places of worship may reopen beginning from June 1 has elicited mixed reactions from church leaders in the country, some welcoming the move and others terming it as questionable.
UK-based Catholic Agency Supporting South Sudanese Organizations’ COVID-19 Response
The humanitarian arm of the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) is supporting local organizations in the world’s youngest nation, South Sudan, in their response to COVID-19 crisis, an official of the UK-based organization in South Sudan has said.
Church in South Africa Reaches Out to Poor Families Defying Lockdown to Beg
Hard pressed to evade starvation amid stringent COVID-19 restrictions, poor families in South Africa are risking contagion and moving from house to house to beg, a situation that has attracted the attention of Salesian missionaries working in the Southern African country.
Churches in DR Congo Partner with European Union for €2m COVID-19 Sensitization Program
Church leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have partnered with the European Union (EU) for a nine-month sensitization project dubbed “Support project for the prevention of COVID-19 in the DRC through communication for behavior change during and after the epidemic” worth Eur.2 million (US$2.17 million).
Pope Francis’ Representative in Zambia Donates COVID-19 Equipment to Three Hospitals
In a bid to support the efforts undertaken by Catholic Church leaders in Zambia in the fight against COVID-19, the representative of Pope Francis in the Southern Africa nation has donated three ventilators and N95 as well as surgical masks to benefit three hospitals, saying the donation was part of the Holy Father’s initiative to help “all the African countries.” The Apostolic Nuncio in the country, Archbishop Giafranco Gallone delivered the items to Bishop Moses Hamungole on behalf of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) on Monday, May 25. “I know that this is a small gesture in this moment, but the Holy Father is helping all the African countries (by) sending the same contribution,” Archbishop Gallone has been quoted as saying during the handing over ceremony at ZCCB Secretariat in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka. The Italian Prelate who represents Pope Francis in neighboring Malawi as well added in reference to the Holy Father, “It is his concern as a good father towards those that are suffering and do not have the necessary means to be able to cure themselves.”. The three ventilators will be used at Cardinal Adam Memorial Hospital, Lusaka, Chilonga Mission Hospital in Muchinga province, northeast Zambia and St. Dominics' Mission Hospital in the Copperbelt province, south of the country. The three hospitals, the Apostolic Nuncio noted, “are without proper instruments to help COVID-19 patients.” Zambia has recorded at least 920 cases, 336 recoveries and seven related deaths. Appreciating the donation from the Holy Father, Sr. Elizabeth Njovu from St. Dominics’ Mission Hospital noted that the ventilators “will ultimately save lives, make their mission work easy, and offer excellent response services in the three facilities.” “The health sector, being at the frontline in the fight against the scourge has faced the most impact mainly because the fight has taken a colossal amount of resources, which would have been allocated evenly to fights of other health issues,” Sr. Njovu said. During the handing over ceremony, the Apostolic Nuncio revealed that Pope Francis is also concerned about people who have lost jobs in Africa as a result of COVID-19, and who are affected by the looming hunger crisis. “Aided by his collaborators, he (Pope Francis) has great desire to find (the) right ways of implementing charitable interventions for a possible food emergency throughout Africa,” the Nuncio said and added, “We hope that the situation could be mitigated by the aid of the international community.” Reiterating the words of Pope Francis expressing his solidarity with those affected by the pandemic, the 57-year-old Prelate said, “I express my closeness to those who are suffering from COVID-19, to those who are dedicated to their care and to all those who, in any way, are suffering from the pandemic.”
