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poor must not prevent us from showing foresight in implementing new signs of Christian love and
charity as a response to the new forms of poverty experienced by humanity today.

It is my hope that the celebration of the World Day of the Poor, now in its fifth year, will grow in our
local Churches and inspire a movement of evangelization that meets the poor personally wherever they
may be. We cannot wait for the poor to knock on our door; we need urgently to reach them in their
homes, in hospitals and nursing homes, on the streets and in the dark corners where they sometimes
hide, in shelters and reception centres. It is important to understand how they feel, what they are
experiencing and what their hearts desire. Let us make our own the heartfelt plea of Father Primo
Mazzolari: “I beg you not to ask me if there are poor people, who they are and how many of them
there are, because I fear that those questions represent a distraction or a pretext for avoiding a clear
appeal to our consciences and our hearts... I have never counted the poor, because they cannot be
counted: the poor are to be embraced, not counted” (“Adesso” n. 7 – 15 April 1949). The poor are
present in our midst. How evangelical it would be if we could say with all truth: we too are poor,
because only in this way will we truly be able to recognize them, to make them part of our lives and an
instrument of our salvation.
- Pope Francis
Rome, Saint John Lateran, 13 June 2021, Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua

XIII. NEWS FROM THE CATHOLIC WORLD

Caritas Internationalis launches Covid-19 appeal for India: June 14, 2021
Donations sought as India passes 29.5 million cases amid a desperate shortage of medical facilities and
staff.

Caritas Internationalis, the confederation of Catholic charities around the world, has launched a new
appeal for donations to help people in India reeling from a deadly second wave of Covid-19.

The appeal came as India passed 29.5 million coronavirus cases and over 374,000 deaths while
recording more than 300,000 daily cases for weeks. Caritas Internationalis released a video
documentary featuring testimony from Jacob, a Caritas staff member from Dindigul in southern India‟s
Tamil Nadu state who emotionally describes the extreme plight of local communities with images of
sick people gasping for life as they undergo treatment.

He also narrates how Caritas and church groups have been struggling to help people amid an acute
shortage of resources including a lack of medical facilities and staff in hospitals. Aloysius John,
secretary-general of Caritas Internationalis, has praised dedicated Caritas staff like Jacob who are
rendering great service despite extreme difficulties. "This is what Caritas does: give everything
without hesitation,” John said. Caritas Internationalis wants to keep its promise to be in solidarity with
the most affected and all people in need. “And this is what Jacob and all the other staff members and
volunteers of Caritas India do every day: distribute food, masks, disinfectants and assist doctors even
at the risk of their own lives, even when the situation becomes more complex every day and it seems
that there is no hope.”
John noted that Caritas India launched an immediate humanitarian response to the pandemic, and
thanks to the support of thousands of benefactors, it was possible to set up 28 first-level treatment
centers and 58 second-level centers where 2,384 patients were helped by Caritas medical assistants.
Caritas India has also deployed many volunteers known as Covid Samaritans who support the needy
by offering medical care, oxygen support, convalescence aid and comfort to lonely people.

The agency has also distributed more than 35,000 masks, 35,000 food kits and 22,000 medical kits.
"Caritas Internationalis wants to keep its promise to be in solidarity with the most affected and all
people in need,” John said. Last month, when India made global headlines due to its deadly second
coronavirus wave, Father Paul Moonjely, executive director of Caritas India, appealed for global
solidarity to respond to the crisis.

“The situation is so grim. People are flooding to the hospitals; the hospitals have no beds and people
are just dying. Our frontline health workers and volunteers are working round the clock to keep up
with the pace of health measures,” Father Moonjely said. “Furnaces have melted down from overuse
and additional funeral platforms are being built outside. Such are the heart-breaking messages and
haunting images that highlight the terrible second wave of the coronavirus pandemic raging through
the country. The Church in India has lost many of its faithful laity and religious brothers and sisters in
their pursuit to serve the distressed population.”

Following the appeal, Caritas and church groups from various parts of the world responded with
donations. Caritas Humanitarian Aid and Relief Initiatives Singapore (CHARIS) raised more than
S$300,000 (US$224,556) to provide monetary aid and supplies to India.