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COVID-19: Exploring Faith Dimensions
WEEKLY HIGHLIGHT
#155
Raging Pandemics; Patent Debates; Cross-Sector Cooperation (and Lack Thereof)

Déjà vu: Large religious gatherings were a focal point in tracking the spread of the COVID-19 virus early in the crisis and once again they are in the spotlight, as the enormous Indian Kumbh Mela festival contributes to India’s raging pandemic. Tragic stories from India highlight the devastating impact of the new crisis wave, offering insights into the compassionate response of many faith communities. Vivid images of the struggles to respect rituals honoring the dead and to keep up with incessant demands for cremation attest to the extraordinary scale of the crisis and its practical and spiritual impact. More broadly, resistance by some communities to restrictions on gatherings contribute to COVID-19 transmission, with reports from different world regions telling a similar story. The April Public Religion Research Institute and the Interfaith Youth Core survey (conducted in the United States) highlights religious links to both vaccine acceptance and hesitancy, a continuing focus of commentary.
 
Challenges around COVID-19 vaccination are receiving sharp focus once again, again with both positive and negative religious aspects. Direct and active religious engagement includes both communication of messages supporting vaccination and vaccine delivery at religious sites. A toolkit directed to Black religious communities in the United States is an illustration. Many prominent religious leaders and communities, including the Vatican and Pope Francis himself, have expressed support for the proposed waiver of patent rights as a measure to speed vaccine production. There are heated debates (reaching even into the White House) about the potential impact of the measure, both on immediate production and long-term research and development incentives. Vatican correspondent John Allen offers a lively commentary on the Vatican’s role in the debates in his weekly roundup. Faith-science cooperation was exemplified in Dr. Fauci’s participation in a Vatican event on the pandemic. Widespread and ranging debates about what requirements should be developed around vaccination (passports? voluntary or obligatory?) are extending to religious institutions, including colleges.
 
Cooperation among different actors and sectors has been a continuing concern during the pandemic. A BMJ Global Health article focused on relationships between the World Health Organization (WHO) and faith communities. Its conclusion? Positive recent cooperation with religious actors on the COVID-19 pandemic is seen as evidence that “the organisation’s willingness to innovate may be changed, and changed quickly, if demanded by a time-critical challenge of global significance. While it is early days yet, this thus-far functional collaboration has demonstrated that at least in the present crisis, the need for partnership can override ideological purity. If the time has come to rethink WHO’s engagement with a broader coalition of stakeholders, the evolving relationship with religious actors may be a fitting place to begin.”
 
Efforts to pinpoint the reasons for different responses and performance in the face of the pandemic sometimes allude to faith engagement. An example, among several country case studies by Vox, is a positive account of Senegal’s response. Another is a positive account by World Vision of its widely varied global response. From Iraq come positive stories of clerical leadership on vaccination alongside concern about difficult challenges to come.

With the holy month of Ramadan nearing its end, various accounts of the second COVID-19 affected season are emerging, posing questions about government restrictions on religious observance (Egypt). Concerns focus on traditional intensive movements as celebrations of Ramadan’s end approach. Similar to last year, questions linger about the pandemic impact on traditional charitable giving during the month. In Africa there are reports of creative new approaches by churches and pastors to staying afloat financially, including brewing beer and raising pigs. But the pressures have also led some to quit the ministry.

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