Chai Brady
Cross made out of palm fronds. Leaders of Ireland’s Christian Churches have called on the faithful to pray together on Palm Sunday from 3-4pm as the world battles the coronavirus (Covid-19).
The leaders of the Catholic Church, Church of Ireland, Methodist Church in Ireland, Presbyterian Church in Ireland and the Irish Council of Churches, together with other denominations and Christian organisations made the joint announcement after a video conference.
They also paid tribute to everyone in the health and social care services and those in the frontline for their courage in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic.
In a joint address the Church leaders said: “In these days when we can no longer gather and ‘be Church’ in the traditional way, the call to live out the Gospel as agents of God’s mercy and compassion through the sacrifices that we make to protect the vulnerable, and by finding new ways to be Good Samaritans and good neighbours is as powerful as ever.
“To all who are suffering, have lost loved ones and are anxious in these unprecedented days, we pray that you may find strength and comfort in the loving presence of Christ who promised to be with his people always (Matthew 28:20).”
The Church leaders thanked everyone in the health and social services as well as those working on the frontline for their courage as “they work selflessly to minimise the suffering” caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Alongside our chaplains and pastoral teams, they have chosen to walk towards the danger for our sake. We owe it to them to play our part in limiting the spread of this virus by staying home and practising social distancing when we need to go out,” the statement reads.
The crisis has brought a heightened awareness of “our interconnectedness and interdependency”, they said, adding that there is a new recognition for the jobs that are essential to society’s functioning.
All workers, whether working or staying at home, must be “adequately protected”, the Church leaders stated.
“In the midst of this suffering, however we can see many signs of hope. The speed with which local communities, involving churches, community groups, charities, businesses and other local community leaders, who have mobilised in response to this unprecedented challenge, has been a great reassurance to many.”
There is still a long way to go in the fight against the coronavirus and its consequences, they acknowledged, with many volunteers needed to bolster the health service and charities to support.
“We are all called to make sacrifices, but the burden of suffering will not be evenly shared,” the Church leaders said.
“As we look to God with pastoral and practical concerns during these times, as the island battles a pandemic, standing alongside other denominations and Christian organisations, we are today issuing a call to pray”.
“As Christians, we believe that prayer sustains our life as followers of Christ. In the midst of this global pandemic, we turn to Jesus in our time of need.
“As Church leaders, we join together in calling all our people to pray. As we begin the journey through Holy Week towards Good Friday and Easter, we invite all Christians from across the whole Church to join in prayer on Palm Sunday, 5 April, from 3-4pm, remembering that we should only gather to pray within our own households, in line with government advice.”