The Vatican dicastery for integral human development will provide support for the people of Vietnam, severely tried by the pandemic. This deed joins the Vietnamese Church's commitment to the sick. “Here Jesus is waiting for me to give his love to others,” said a nun in Xuân Lộc who contracted the virus in hospital. Francis also offers aid to cyclone Yaas victims in Bangladesh.
Hanoi (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis is showing his solidarity to Vietnam, strongly tried by the COVID-19 pandemic, with direct action.
The Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development announced today that the pontiff is sending 100,000 euros in emergency aid to the people of Vietnam, which is in a state of dire crisis due to the socio-economic fallout from the pandemic.
The pope’s show of support also extended to two other areas of the world affected by tragedy, namely Bangladesh, which was recently hit by cyclone Yaas, and Haiti, rocked a week ago by an earthquake. The pontiff is contributing US$ 69,000 to the Asian country, and 200,000 euros for the Caribbean nation.
In Vietnam, the pope's act of solidarity joins the Catholic Church's action in favour of COVID-19 victims, which continues with unreserved dedication.
This is best exemplified by Sister Th., a member of the Sisters of the Holy Cross in the Diocese of Xuân Lộc, who with fellow nuns and a group of volunteers spent a month helping the sick in a hospital in Đồng Nai province.
Sister Th. contracted COVID-19 herself, but she won’t to give up on her mission. She is now in isolation, slowly recovering from the illness.
"I thank God who gave me this time to be closer to him than ever,” she wrote in a message released by the Diocese of Xuân Lộc.
She explains that her mother superior entrusted her with the mission of working with local health officials and community.
“I was sent to a place that was not a parish nor a school. It was a hospital, an isolation facility, a room for testing,” she explained.
“My job was not to be a choir leader or arrange flowers, but to bring meals to patients and wash them. As part of my mission, I was prepared for the risk of getting infected.”
“Here Jesus is waiting for me to give his love to others.”