Manila’s auxiliary bishop says no to stigma attached to COVID-19, the 'leprosy of modern times'
For Bishop Broderick Pabillo, the coronavirus pandemic must not lead to discrimination and isolation. Stigmatising the sick is irresponsible and must stop. Acts of solidarity towards the infected are needed. Filipino bishops begin a month of prayer with ten Hail Marys a day to end the pandemic.
Manila (AsiaNews) – COVID-19 must not be used to discriminate and stigmatise people, the way leprosy was “at the time of Jesus," said Mgr Broderick Pabillo, Auxiliary Bishop of Manila.
For the prelate, who himself tested positive to the coronavirus and is now virus-free, no one should be ostracised or socially isolated because of it; marginalising COVID-19 patients is irresponsible and must stop.
Recently, the Philippines has reported the highest number of cases in the Asia-Pacific region. unlike leprosy, the coronavirus is invisible, yet “both have the same effect on people,” the bishop explained.
The two diseases “keep the infected away from other people. They are avoided by others, even by people close to them,” he noted. “There is the strong fear of infection in both cases, largely because of the unknown nature of the disease.”
What is more, in both cases, victims are blamed for supposed “carelessness,” and “a stigma [is] attached”. Instead, Christians must show solidarity and support and be close to the people affected by the novel coronavirus, not isolate them.
Whilst “follow[ing] the medical protocols, we should not shy away from those infected;” on the contrary, “in creative ways, [we] should make them feel that they are not stigmatized by the church community.”
This can be done, the prelate stressed, by sending them messages of solidarity and by praying for them, as well as providing food, vitamins and books to read.
Such concrete acts show the sick that they are not “forgotten,” that they are not modern-day lepers.
In light of the situation, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on the feast day of the Assumption (15 August) called for a month of collective prayer for "healing" and for the end to the pandemic
In a statement, the bishops urge the faithful to recite ten Hail Marys every day, at noon, “wherever you may be,” in Catholic schools, seminaries, parishes and communities until 15 September, the feast day of Our Lady of Sorrows.
“We invite all to a collective prayer action to lift the lockdowns and help heal the nation. God always listens and nothing is impossible with Him,” reads the communiqué.
To the same end, the bishops call on Catholic colleges and universities to ensure that scientific studies about COVID-19 are widely shared to the general public, “using reason, science and Catholic social teachings.”
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