From Dr Rob Hardie—
Chairman of the Catholic Medical Missionary Society
At the height of a global pandemic must be a right and just time to make an appeal for you to support the poor who will struggle so much with the Coronavirus.
Pope Francis warned us all of “globalisation of indifference” and encourages us to live our lives responding to both “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” (Laudato Si 49). Our sister Mother Earth seems to be responding on her own at the moment and it is reported that the waterways in Venice are blue and no longer brown (though dolphins haven’t yet been seen!) and maybe the ‘stars’ in Hollywood can see the real stars where there used to be smog. The Poor of the world, however, cannot respond on their own and are in desperate danger from COVID-19.
We have known for years that health outcomes are much worse among the poor, and deprived communities both in Britain and across the world. We can but imagine the death, destruction and suffering that Coronavirus will bring to countries such as Sudan, and the slums and shanty towns across the world.
For five years the Catholic Medical Missionary Society (CMMS) has been supporting the work of two medical Comboni missionary sisters in Ethiopia. Sister Nives sent an email at the beginning of April, saying, ”It is really very scary what is taking place. We are all on our knee…. because of this Virus. This Lent was not hard, but very hard. I do not have new word to say to anybody in this moment even though Easter is coming. Last week we heard that the Virus reached Addis Ababa with 11 cases. If it comes here where we are working, I tell you it will be the end for most of us, because people do not have any hygiene, any precautions, and any information whatsoever, so…” Sr Nives is 71 and the other sister 76!
When the Pandemic hits the ‘Third World’ then millions of the world’s poorest people will die in dreadful conditions and circumstances.
The CMMS is a tiny charity, closely associated with the Catholic Medical Association (UK) and we give money directly to projects in the third world, deducting no administrative costs from your donation. The CMMS will continue to provide all the support it can to medical projects in the poorest of places. Please help us to help them. A gift aid form and details of how to make a donation are enclosed with this copy of the CMQ and available available via the CMA (UK) website and also the online version of this issue (www.cmq.org.uk)
PLEASE HELP.
