Pope Francis has continued to concretize his closeness,
affection, and care for
humanity in need through acts of generosity and solidarity for communities
and countries hard-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
On Monday, Pope Francis, who has
made countless heartfelt appeals to world leaders and Christians to help those
in need, personally led the way by donating ventilators and ultra-scanners to hospitals
in Brazil.
The Holy Father’s concrete acts
of closeness to humanity in need is carried out through the Office of Papal
Charities, a department of the Holy See headed by the Apostolic Almoner, or
papal almsgiver, Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski.
In a Statement released by the
Holy See Press Office on Monday, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski announced that the
Pope’s charity is being directed to Brazil. Eight Draeger intensive care
ventilators and 6 portable Fuji ultrasound scanners are being shipped to needy
hospitals in Brazil.
Cardinal Krajewski said the medical
devices were possible through the generous commitment of Hope Association, an
Italy-based non-profit group that helps needy children and communities.
Highly specialized in humanitarian projects on health and education, Hope
Association, he says, finds ways to obtain high-tech life-saving medical
equipment through donors, and arranges for their shipping and installation in
hospitals.
These medical devices will be
delivered to hospitals in Brazil chosen by the Apostolic Nunciature, so that
“this gesture of Christian solidarity and charity can really help the poorest
and neediest people,” Cardinal Krajewki said.
After the United States, Brazil
has the world’s worst coronavirus scenario, reporting more than 3.3 million
cases and close to 108,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
On several occasions, the Office
of Papal Charities has mobilized medical material and equipment to be donated
to many health facilities in situations of emergency and poverty around the
world so that many human lives are treated and saved.
In June, Pope Francis donated 35
ventilators to overwhelmed hospitals in developing countries. These ventilators
were distributed to Haiti, Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Honduras,
Ecuador, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Ukraine, and the Dominican Republic.
Pope Francis also marked the
feast of St. George, his feast day, on April 23 with the donation of
ventilators to hospitals in Romania, Spain, and Italy. Vatican News also
reported that Pope Francis donated three ventilators to Zambia’s bishops’ Conference
in May.
On 18 April, the Pope sent ten
ventilators to medical centres in Syria and three to St Joseph's Hospital in
Jerusalem, together with a supply of diagnostic kits for Gaza and the Hospital
of the Holy Family in Bethlehem.
The Hospital of Bergamo, one of
the Italian cities most affected by the pandemic, received a donation of 60
thousand Euros at the beginning of April. In mid-April medical equipment was
donated to some old-age homes in the central Umbria region in Italy.
Pope Francis has made countless
donations to countries and regions hard-hit by Covid-19 pandemic.
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