At one of his recent general audiences at the Vatican, Pope Francis is reported as saying: “The common good — and not political or economic gain — should be at the heart of the race to find a vaccine for COVID-19.”
He went on to say that “we see partisan interests emerging” in the search for a vaccine, and some people “are taking advantage of the situation to instigate divisions: by seeking economic or political advantages, generating or exacerbating conflicts.”
“Others simply are not interesting themselves in the suffering of others; they pass by and go their own way. They are devotees of Pontius Pilate: they wash their hands.”
Pope Francis went on to say: “If the solutions for the pandemic bear the imprint of selfishness, whether it be by people, businesses or nations, we may perhaps emerge from the coronavirus crisis, but certainly not from the human and social crisis that the virus has brought to light and accentuated. Therefore, we must be careful not to build on sand! To build a healthy, inclusive, just and peaceful society we must do so on the rock of the common good.”
These might be some thoughts we could bring to our conversations with others as together all must strive to draw on the lessons of this time and thus create a just and inclusive tomorrow. For further information on this issue go to: https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2020/09/10/catholic-health-association-covid-19-vaccine?
