Covid-19: Pope Francis continues his gestures of closeness

By Vatican News

Pope Francis, continuing his many gestures of closeness in recent times amid the Covid-19 crisis, has donated 25,000 Euros to the World Food Programme (WFP).

Announcing the Pope’s donation on Friday, the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development said in a statement that it is “an immediate expression of the Holy Father’s closeness” to people affected by the pandemic and those "engaged in essential services in favour of the poor."

The Holy Father made this donation through the Dicastery in collaboration with the Holy See’s Permanent Representative to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

The recent donation is also “a paternal gesture of encouragement” to the WFP and to other countries that provide support for integral development which “combat social instability, food insecurity, growing unemployment and the collapse of the economic systems of vulnerable nations."

Pope Francis has continually lent his support to the fight against Covid-19. He recently donated 35 ventilators to support countries hard-hit by the crisis, especially those with poor health systems. Other monetary donations he has made specifically during the covid-19 crisis amount to almost 2 million Euros.