India has be hit hard by a second wave of COVID-19. ACN spoke with Mons. Anil Couto, Archbishop of Delhi, about the current situation in India. The archbishop explains the measures being taken by the Church and how invaluable the support given by ACN’s benefactors truly is.

By ACN Staff

India is in the middle of crisis caused by COVID-19. We have all seen the truly horrible images and videos coming from the subcontinent, which show great human misery. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is supporting 27 projects in India with a total of €370,000 to provide subsistence aid and Mass stipends to allow priests and religious to carry out the Church’s mission in India. ACN spoke with Mons. Anil Couto, Archbishop of Delhi about the current crisis in India, with 350,000 cases of COVID-19 being reported daily.

The archbishop first described the general situation:

“I would describe the situation as being very distressful, very uncertain for people, a moment of pain, suffering and anxiety for everyone because we do not know who would be next and how this virus would spread and infect people and how we can save ourselves from the infection. We don’t know how the next day will unfold.  It is only our faith that keeps us going.”

The archbishop reports that in his own archdiocese 3 religious sisters have died from COVID-19. One of the sisters was only in her 50s. He said also a great number of laypeople have also died, but it is too early at this stage to be able to gauge numbers. As a result of restrictions priests are unable to go near dying people to administer that sacraments. Instead, they stand at a distance in PPE reciting prayers. Families are not able to attend funerals for their dead. The archbishop said the Church was more ready for this second wave. Various activities for the Church are able to be conducted online, such as catechetical classes.

Mons. Anil Couto spoke about the situation in the Holy Family Hospital, which belongs to the archdiocese:

“It is stressful due to the overwhelming number of cases and constant shortage of oxygen and even staff.   As in the rest of the country, we cannot provide beds to all the patients wanting admission and such patients are treated in the emergency itself till a bed is available. There is no preferential treatment in our hospital; patients are admitted on a first- come- first served basis. People have trust in the Holy Family Hospital because we have a long-established tradition of good nursing care by God's grace. Our doctors and nurses try to give a very personal attention to every patient.”

The archbishop wished to pass on this message to all our benefactors:

“I just want to thank all our benefactors for all the solidarity they always manifest with the Church in Need and right now undergoing much suffering due to Covid-19. So, I would say: please keep it up! Your concern and your love give us the strength to go ahead and be courageous witnesses of the Good News of Our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

ACN invites all our supporters to join us in prayer that the suffering in India may soon be alleviated.