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COVID-19: Exploring Faith Dimensions
WEEKLY HIGHLIGHT
#166
COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts Continue to Multiply

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on faith, faith groups, and individuals are myriad and, if it is possible, they seem to be increasing. They intersect with various themes, including travel (especially across international borders), vulnerable children, funding and income, and even the Olympics.
 
Australia, intentionally or not, weighed in on whether clergy should be considered essential workers when in August 2020 the Department of Home Affairs added expertise in “religious or theology fields” to a list of critical skills that could make someone eligible for travel exemptions. Subsequently, the Australian government granted exemptions for 75 foreign nationals with critical skills in religion or theology to enter the country in the first half of 2021. These exemptions were necessary to fill gaps in leadership for the faith communities in the country. ​​Jatinder Singh, a director at the Australian Sikh Association and the Gurdwara Sahib Glenwood, said that those involved were primarily priests from India who have come to Australia and rotated every six months. The pandemic meant two groups of priests, six people in total, had stayed in Australia longer than planned because of the difficulty in replacing them.
 
A tragic consequence of the pandemic is that more than a million children globally have been orphaned by COVID-19, losing one or both parents to the disease or related causes. To support these children, members of the Faith to Action Initiative, a coalition of faith-based child welfare organizations that includes Bethany Christian Services, World Vision, and other nonprofits and ministries, are encouraging Christians to mobilize to care for those children and support surviving family members. Elli Oswald, the executive director of the Faith to Action Initiative called to Christians: “We know when families are supported during these tragic times, they can provide the love and care a child needs to thrive. The church is best placed to respond to the needs of these children as it carries out the vision we see in scripture of God’s intention for family, and ensures that a child never needs to be placed in an orphanage.”
 
To fund research into how congregations are changing, innovating, and establishing new ministry practices as a result of the pandemic, Hartford Seminary has been awarded a five-year, $5.3 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. This project will be led by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research (HIRR) and will enable the HIRR team to collaborate with a network of scholars and organizations who are researching the health and vitality of congregations that are representative of the diversity of Christianity in the United States. Clare R. Feldman, chair of Hartford Seminary’s Board of Trustees, said of the benefits of the grant, “Most noteworthy is that it will enable Hartford Seminary to study the impact of Covid-19 on congregational life and to make those findings available to religious leaders as they go forward.”
 
Meanwhile, the Roman Curia (the central body of the Roman Catholic Church) appears to be be facing some financial losses linked to the COVID-19 emergencies. The reported 2020 income of the Roman Curia was 5 percent lower than in 2019, mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The statement showed an overall income of 248 million euros ($303 million), a total expenditure of 315 million euros ($386 million), and a net equity of 1,379 million euros ($1,690 million). This could be considered a positive report, with losses not as severe as was anticipated at the start of the pandemic, though the full impact of the reduction in income may not be seen until the 2021 report.
 
Finally, in the world of sports, the Tokyo Olympics began this week despite much controversy due to the pandemic. COVID-19 precautions have also affected faith events within the Olympics. Chaplains who would normally look after athletes’ spiritual health in person have had to resort to largely virtual sessions. There have also been significant adjustments to the way the Games are accommodating athletes’ religious needs, as well as to the way outside groups are able to share their faith with Olympians and their fans.
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If you have news articles, guides, or other relevant resources you wish to share with us for review please email covid19.faithresponse@gmail.com. We are particularly interested in learning more about groups facing acute vulnerabilities (refugees, elderly, those impacted by the digital divide, in fragile states, etc.). Please send us any information you see.
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