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A homeless man receives food from residents of the Chapeu Mangueira slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
April 16, 2020
Linda Bordoni
Vatican News
Society must face the current crisis with a common Christian perspective, leading with concern for the poor and vulnerable, Catholic leaders of Latin America say a new statement.
The newly released “Manifesto of Latin Americans with Political Responsibilities” spells out the need to protect the most fragile and vulnerable in society and to expand international cooperation.
The 170 signatories include three former heads of state, a former secretary of the Organization of American States, a former director of the International Monetary Fund and current and former MPs.
The initiative is promoted by the Academy of Catholic Leaders, established in Chile and now present in various Latin American nations.
The academy’s board includes renowned theologians, the president of the Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Religious and the vice president emeritus of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
The document states that it arises from “the pain for those who suffer and will suffer most from this pandemic”: the poor, those who are alone and abandoned, the most fragile and the most vulnerable, those who will be hit hardest by the effects of the COVID-19 crisis.
“Just think of the dramatic impact it will have on a multitude of Latin American brothers and sisters who survive only thanks to undeclared work, on those who live on the streets, on the many abandoned elderly people,” the statement reads.
It is the poor, it continues, who have to leave their homes to earn their daily bread and who often are unable to observe the rules of isolation and quarantine.
Reality demands that the choices we make mirror the choice made by Jesus Christ, the signatories say: “Therefore all actions and commitments to tackle the crisis must be made from the point of view of their impact on the most vulnerable.”
In concrete terms, the Manifesto continues, solidarity must be organized between different territorial areas and between different countries because the pandemic does not affect the entire national territory with equal force.
The document calls for the involvement of the media that must work for the common good, avoiding sensationalism and contributing to a climate that is “risk-conscious but serene and self-confident."
It highlights the fact that churches must be involved, as psychological and spiritual accompaniment is fundamental, especially for “those experiencing traumatic or stressful situations.”
Noting that "It takes creativity to resist and then overcome the crisis,” the document calls on the political leaders of the different nations of Latin America to seek coordinated and concerted action, assuming the leadership and the responsibility to neglect no one.
“The churches must be bearers and, to their extent, executors of these measures," the statement reads.
“Surely we are in a very serious situation on our planet,” the 170 signatories of the document conclude, “probably the greatest challenge that we, as a generation, will live in our history."