PORT LOUIS, APRIL 28, 2020 (CISA) – Maurice Cardinal Piat has called for generosity and solidarity of faithful in supporting the sustenance of parishes and parish programs aimed at supporting the poor.
In a video message released on April 25 as part of a fundraising campaign for the local church and its charity programs, Cardinal Piat said the magnitude of the coronavirus pandemic is yet to be felt thus inviting initiatives to support the wellbeing of Mauritians.
“Following the closure of Churches on March 20 due to COVID-19, several people have asked what they can do to help the Church. Indeed, the financial shortfall in the parishes is high because they no longer have an income from the various pursuits, self-supporting activities, Mass Intentions, and other donations,” the Cardinal said.
In Mauritius most parishes depend on contributions from faithful to pay their staff and meet their costs. The cardinal however notes that the coming of Covid-19 has affected the social-economic situation of most of the people in the country.
“The Stay at Home order placed a tremendous financial burden on many families who rely on the informal and formal sector for survival,” he said adding that most people have lost jobs in the process.
“In these difficult times of the COVID-19 crisis, Mauritians would do well to move from a society focused on high income to a society of high solidarity,” he added.
As various organizations and institutions in the country join together in assessing the emergency, Cardinal Piat assured of the contribution of the Catholic diocese of Port Louis through caritas in preparing to cushion the post Covid-19 impact.
Mauritius is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean. As at April 27 the country had recorded 334 coronavirus cases and 10 deaths.
