The Pope: getting vaccinated is an act of love

Vatican City

Pope Francis has repeatedly stressed that health is a right for all and must be protected for all. His words have often translated into concrete gestures of aid, especially for the countries most affected by the pandemic and with fewer resources, by sending medical supplies and funds. On the other hand, at the end of May, the vaccination against Covid19 in the Vatican ended with the administration of the drug to 300 vulnerable and poor people. The voice of the Pope has always called on citizens – also stressing the advisability of suspending the patents of pharmaceutical companies – to accept extensive vaccination as a universal common good. Today, the Pontiff addresses the question again, this time appealing to the consciences of all, with a video message in which he asks for a responsible attitude to face the pandemic together.

Invitation to collaborate with each other

In a spirit of brotherhood, I join this message of hope for a better future. Thanks to God and the work of many, today we have vaccines to protect us from Covid-19. This gives hope for an end to the pandemic, but only if they are accessible to all and if we work together.

Love is also social and political

The Pope invites us to consider love as a prism that reflects the luminosity of gestures that we believe to be small but which have universal repercussions:

“Getting vaccinated, with vaccines authorized by the competent authorities, is an act of love. And helping most people get vaccinated is an act of love. Love for oneself, love for family and friends, love for all peoples. Love is also social and political, there is social love and political love, it is universal, always overflowing with small gestures of personal charity capable of transforming and to improve societies ”.

A simple but deep gesture

Francisco’s gratitude and blessing mingle with an invitation to make a gesture that he likens to a grain of sand. We can all cooperate for a better future with vaccination:

Joint appeals of Latin American prelates

The pope’s call is echoed by several cardinals in the region, who unanimously recall the need to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Mexican José Horacio Gómez, president of the bishops of the United States, hopes that with the help of faith people can face the risks of the pandemic and that we can all be vaccinated. Carlos Aguiar Retes, Archbishop of Mexico City, called for vaccination from north to south of the continent because, he said, we are all interconnected and hope must be inclusive. Cardinal Hummes of Brazil echoes the Pope’s words: vaccination is an act of love for all and emphasizes that the heroic efforts of health workers have produced safe and effective vaccines for the entire human family. Salvadoran Cardinal Rosa Chávez spoke of a “moral responsibility for the whole community”: “Our decision to vaccinate affects others. Honduran Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga also expressed his support for the awareness campaign:” We still need to know more about the virus, but one thing is certain: licensed vaccines work and save lives, they are a key to personal and universal healing. to protect our integral health, by inviting us to be vaccinated because “vaccination is safe and effective”.