With a North American charity as its main collaborator, the Congregation for Eastern Churches’ COVID-19 emergency fund distributed more than $11.7 million in aid, including food and hospital ventilators in 21 countries where members of the Eastern Catholic churches live.
COVID-19 emergency fund for Eastern churches distributes $11.7 million in aid
Two Vatican cardinals test positive for COVID-19; one hospitalized
Two top Vatican officials — Cardinal Konrad Krajewski and Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello — have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, Italian media reported, and a Vatican source confirmed.
U.S. bishops say benefits of Pfizer, Moderna vaccines outweigh concerns
Maryland’s Catholic bishops are encouraging Catholics strongly to be vaccinated against COVID-19, “unless medically indicated otherwise.”
Naumann: Vaccine objectors still have ‘responsibility to protect public health’
The bishops, responding to questions about moral concerns about vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, said the two were not directly connected to cell lines that originated with tissue taken from abortions, but there was a remote connection as both vaccines relied on an aborted fetal cell in one of the confirmatory lab tests.
Vatican: Without alternatives, current COVID-19 vaccines are morally acceptable
The Vatican’s doctrinal office said that when alternative vaccines are not available, it is morally acceptable to receive COVID-19 vaccines developed or tested using cell lines originating from aborted fetuses.
Genocide in Nigeria ‘happening before our eyes,’ congressman says at hearing
The Catholic bishop of Gboko, Nigeria, and the Knights of Columbus added their voices to a Dec. 17 congressional hearing spotlighting sectarian violence in Nigeria in which thousands of Christians have been killed simply for their faith.
Pope again calls for diverting funds from weapons to fighting hunger
Pope Francis called for a “culture of care” in his message for World Peace Day 2021, which the Church celebrates Jan. 1.
Foundation’s COVID-19 grants will fund medicine, food in developing countries
The Papal Foundation has announced it will give $1.8 million in grants to support COVID-19 relief efforts in developing nations around the world, with the majority of the funds assisting with health care and basic needs for the poor.