Vaccination and the Common Good

"Getting a vaccine, the note [from the Vatican Congregation of the Faith] added, is also a question of promoting the common good.” The note clarifies conflicting reports from some quarters that getting the Covid-19 vaccines may be immoral.

Vatican endorses Covid vaccines: Covid-19 vaccines that use the cells of aborted foetuses are 'morally acceptable' according to the Vatican’s doctrine office. @ctrlamb reports

https://t.co/4dfPaZXoeJ

— The Tablet (@The_Tablet) December 21, 2020

Letting Go

The pandemic has removed things and activities from daily life. Clinging to them prevents choosing wisely to remain healthy. Clinging also denies opportunities to grow, even to notice God’s invitations to more life.

Jesuit Brother Joe Hoover suggested that “when we are asked to do a simple thing that makes sense, like letting things go during a ferocious pandemic, it might be God is preparing us to receive something profound in return.”

Sometimes it is just that simple. Christ often comes in what is common, clothed in what makes sense; in wisdom trite, cliched and earth-shattering. https://t.co/kt3RZiHwCb

— America Magazine (@americamag) December 9, 2020

No Instant Fix But a Great Help

Vaccines for Covid-19 are on the horizon. Yet vaccines will not fix instantly the pandemic. Replies to three questions posed in this short article can help one appreciate that human effort remains key. Human cooperation with a vaccine  will move the world beyond the pandemic.

“We need to restore faith and confidence in our scientists, institutions, and science itself, so that we can minimize vaccine hesitancy and have a successful vaccination program.” https://t.co/T95CSLEC08

— Paul Panaretos (@PDPswim) November 15, 2020

How & Where

Fine journalism has responded to Spain's intense suffering in the pandemic. An article in El Païs considered both transmission and prevention in living rooms, bars & schools. Its graphics are very helpful, and embedded links pepper the article.

Healing Catecheses Continue

Pope Francis continued his series of catecheses at the General Audience today. “To Heal the World” is the name of the series the Pope offers in the face of the pandemic. Today Francis highlighted solidarity and faith.

Vatican News summarized the catechesis.

“Preparing the Future That We Need”

At his 05August General Audience Pope Francis began a catechesis-series entitled “To heal the world”: ”In the next few weeks, I invite you to tackle together the pressing questions that the pandemic has brought to the fore, social ills above all. And we will do it in the light of the Gospel, of the theological virtues and of the principles of the Church’s social doctrine.” 

Catholic News Service has posted about the pope’s series.

In light of #COVID19 #Pandemic Pope Francis will begin new series of audience talks on social doctrine https://t.co/Sq8ExtOReD via @CatholicCourier pic.twitter.com/3hqXtynEgl

— Catholic News Service (@CatholicNewsSvc) August 5, 2020

Not Well Known

A line in Julian’s Showings is better known than the fact that “spent 15 years and more isolated in her cell, immersed in a deep, faithful struggle to comprehend the divine meaning of these words.” God’s promises are sure even though humans cannot reckon God’s timing of the promises.

Julian of Norwich believed ‘All will be well.’ Would she say so today? | America Magazine https://t.co/qevdvKi2ax

— John Mpuuga (@JohnMpuuga2) June 29, 2020

Another Resource

The Jesuits of Britain have been using Zoom to help people meditate. Included with the scheduled one is a link to past meditations.

Whether you are new to Ignatian meditation or a past-master ,come and join us online every Wednesday at 8pm for IMAGINE.

Watch previous sessions on the IMAGINE YouTube channel : https://t.co/y6cvyKjagU

Sign up to our Imagine mailing list:https://t.co/2zlksBiq2p pic.twitter.com/WV4r0X6kH1

— Jesuits in Britain (@JesuitsBritain) July 14, 2020

Point of Care

This ship’s “crew is now committed to raising awareness and providing information to the local populations and offers on-the-spot first-stage outpatient treatment.”



The “Pope Francis Hospital Ship” brings medical equipment and assistance to #coronavirus-hit communities along the Amazon River in #Brazil. https://t.co/CHHvGWRTVD
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) July 13, 2020

Perfection or Fruitfulness?

From the Thinking Faith archives spiritual director Christopher Chapman offered a way into Sunday’s gospel selection. His conviction remains current: “Old or young, God will dare us once more to emerge into being. The Spirit will lead us beyond ourselves in fruitful generosity.”

In tomorrow's #gospel, the sower who scatters seed amidst rocks, birds and thorns is not being wasteful: this is how the field is. But the sower also knows there are pockets of good soil and so is liberal in the sowing. https://t.co/nb9u4BmL1I #gospel

— Thinking Faith (@ThinkingFaith) July 11, 2020

Focus: 18-35

For the Sunday Mass via Zoom on 12 July.

Are we still harvesting hope amid Covid19 ?
Longing for some quality preaching during the lockdown? Join the Young Adults ‘zoom-in’ tomorrow evening at 7pm.

Contact: yam@jesuit.org.uk or WA: +44 7989173069 for the Zoom link. pic.twitter.com/2sSEZapLOB

— Thinking Faith (@ThinkingFaith) July 11, 2020

Relaying Truth

From a Financial Times 10 July interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci. “He imparts a message that is far from sugar-coated. …this pandemic really is ‘the big one’. Covid-19 has the worst elements of previous epidemics combined.”

About the disease processes caused by SARS-CoV-2:

“I have never seen a virus or any pathogen that has such a broad range of manifestations,” he says. “Even if it doesn’t kill you, even if it doesn’t put you in the hospital, it can make you seriously ill.”

Fauci last saw Trump in person at the White House on June 2 — and says he has not briefed the president for at least two months https://t.co/Wwrw3yRJ3H

— Ahmed Al Omran (@ahmed) July 11, 2020

For the World

The world is in the human imagination in ways it was not before it was seen for the first time from space. The current pandemic has made humans more aware of the earth’s fragility as well as its resilience. The word world evokes predicaments to its peace, health, economy, justice, relationships—to name a few.

At a press conference Cardinal Peter Turkson highlighted peace, harmony and security to which the Vatican’s COVID-19 Commission attends. Member of the Commission and economic professor Sister Alessandra Smerilli remarked about the perils to the global economy.

A #Vatican cardinal has said that the world is facing a “tsunami of humanitarian crises.” https://t.co/ItlOQCSHSE

— Catholic News Agency (@cnalive) July 7, 2020

Airborne No Only Droplet

The body of knowledge about the novel coronavirus continues to grow as the pandemic surges in some places and ebbs in others. Ebbing is no sign of disappearing but of prudent behaviour of individuals and  by health-care tracking. Evidence now suggests that the virus is airborne, that is, no longer only contained in droplets expelled from airways of infected people.

Another system the virus seems to affect—it causes more than respiratory illness—is the neurological system.

The World Health Organization confirmed there is "emerging evidence" of airborne transmission of the coronavirus. https://t.co/JoBxHdhMC1

— CNN (@CNN) July 8, 2020

Vigilance for Next Wave

Recently the Canadian Medical Association reminded vigilance remains key to staying healthy and mitigating the pandemic. Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health is “taking steps to prepare for a second wave of the COVID-19 coronavirus.”

@WDGPublicHealth is preparing for the second wave of #COVID19, but there are a few ways that wave might play out.#guelphhttps://t.co/kx0cXTeqEV

— Jonathan Duncan (@JonoDunco) July 8, 2020

Ethics for Opening

The concern to reopen schools weighs heavily everywhere. In the U.S. the couple hundred Catholic universities and colleges have Catholic ethics to guide them. A conversation is set for next week.

There are approximately 200 Catholic colleges and universities in the country. What does Catholic ethics have to offer, as we face the challenge of reopening? We at the @curran_center welcome you to a discussion next week ... pic.twitter.com/GuDPPDitLe

— Michael Peppard (@MichaelPeppard) July 7, 2020

75 Years Ago

August marks 75 years since atom bombs destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Pax Christi USA urged: “As the only country to use nuclear weapons in conflict, the United States has a moral obligation to lead the world in ending this menace and restoring communities impacted by nuclear weapons.” For the anniversary it is initiating The Peace Ribbon 2020. 

Pax Christi USA marks the upcoming 75th anniversaries of #Hiroshima & #Nagasaki this August with the Peace Ribbon 2020 project, #stillhere statement, more #theribbon2020 https://t.co/yoWikQVO6g

— Pax Christi USA (@PaxChristiUSA) July 6, 2020

Keep Vigilant

Canadians with different needs have different questions about #COVID19. Get clear answers from a reliable source.

— Canadian Medical Association (@CMA_Docs) June 24, 2020

To Transform Communities

The Yale School of Medicine and the Yale Law School together have begun the SEICHE Center for Health and Justice It seeks to identify “the legal, policy, and practice levers that can improve the health of individuals and communities impacted by mass incarceration.” The collaboration promotes both justice and health.

Yale School of Medicine & Yale Law School to Launch Center Focused on Health and Mass Incarcerationhttps://t.co/iKGeoPwWy8 pic.twitter.com/iyS8ZPCSZz

— Yale University (@Yale) June 30, 2020

Global Ceasefire

Pope Francis has supported a U.N. Security Council resolution that calls for a global ceasefire. “The resolution calls on parties to armed conflicts to immediately in a ‘durable humanitarian phase’ provide aid to countries to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.”

#PopeFrancis expresses support for a UN Security Council resolution calling for a global #ceasefire, to provide aid for peoples suffering the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. #coronavirus https://t.co/Xtw50Je08U

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) July 5, 2020