The holy city of Mecca has been pictured completely deserted as Muslims celebrate Ramadan in isolation this year. The central courtyard of the Great Mosque of Mecca is open all year round so is often busy, particularly during Hajj, but strict lockdown measures in Saudi Arabia have left it completely empty. The holy month of Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Coronavirus’
Pacific tourism industry wiped out by Covid-19
Thursday, April 30th, 2020The decimation of the Pacific’s tourism industry by Covid-19 could plunge thousands of people into poverty, according to a new assessment by the International Labour Organisation. Thousands of jobs in countries like Fiji, Samoa and Tonga are dependent on visitor numbers, which have fallen to zero. Thousands of jobs have already been lost, with resorts Read more
Caveat pastor!
Sunday, April 26th, 2020
Religions are inherently optimistic. That is why, despite the mess in the world, they proclaim an order, and celebrate it with repeated rituals. Even in a pandemic, religions see a world where “the facts are friendly”. Christians, along with Jews and Muslims, see the Creator as infinitely – and quite literally so – greater than Read more
Lockdown reality for the ‘other’ NZ
Thursday, April 23rd, 2020
There are numerous uncertainties surrounding these days of Covid-19 in Aotearoa-New Zealand and across the globe. From a social work perspective, it is hard to know where to begin, with the burdens carried by social workers in the present, or with the possibilities facing the planet in the longer run. Whichever we chose, there is Read more
The loneliness pandemic: How the quarantined are grappling with solitude and faith
Thursday, April 23rd, 2020
“An Easter of Solitude”: This is how Pope Francis, standing alone in an empty St. Peter’s Basilica, described what the holiest day of the year would look like for many Catholics as the coronavirus pandemic forced churches to close and their members to stay at home. As the pope was speaking, Mariana Scavo, 32, ate Read more
Post-coronavirus world needs economy for the common good
Thursday, April 23rd, 2020
When the coronavirus epidemic passes, Americans can’t simply return to their old habits, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio has said. “We won’t properly absorb the lessons from the coronavirus crisis if we fall back into the traditional Republican and Democratic model of politics. We need a new vision to create a more resilient economy,” the Florida Read more
Electronic Eucharists reduce prayer to priestly performance
Thursday, April 23rd, 2020
As the human race joins the rest of the planet in a struggle for survival, the church is also trying to find its footing. Why? Clericalism. For too long — say, 800 to 1,000 years — the sacramental life of the church has been under priestly lock and key. Around the 10th century, the custom Read more
Church has no direct answer for COVID-19 digital tracking apps
Thursday, April 23rd, 2020
A coronavirus surveillance digital tracking app the Italian government wants to introduce to help prevent coronavirus (COVID-19) to spread is generating resistance. The “Immuni,” app, which can record where people go, was to have been introduced when the country’s gradual return to normality begins on 4 May. It relies on Bluetooth, so the user has Read more
Bangladesh poor even poorer
Thursday, April 23rd, 2020
The Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic will make the poor in Bangladesh even poorer, say economists. About 50 million people who live slightly above the poverty line (i.e. those earning more than US$2 a day) may fall below the line because of the pandemic. In the past, natural disasters and climate change effects were the main drivers Read more
Vatican City prepares to ease coronavirus restrictions
Thursday, April 23rd, 2020
Vatican City is making plans to gradually ease the quarantine restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). The Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin has been meeting with the Roman Curia to discuss gradually reopening Holy See offices as Italy prepares to end its national lockdown on 4 May. The heads of Read more