HONG KONG (UCAN): The Diocese of Xi’an in China’s Shaanxi province, donated 24,000 disposable medical masks to the Vatican and religious communities and dioceses in Italy such as Milan and Bologna, in a gesture of reciprocity in the midst of the Covid-19 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)pandemic.
“When mainland China experienced the epidemic, the Holy See and the Italian Church group helped by sending medical masks. We have now effectively contained the virus but Italy is now suffering. It is our turn to help them,” Father Chen Ruixue of Xi’an said.
The coronavirus, he said, “is the public enemy of humanity. Only when all people work together to fight the disease can we overcome the pandemic.”
Worldwide, there were 397,047 confirmed cases and nearly 18,100 deaths in 176 countries and territories as of March 25. However, 101,003 have recovered.
In China, the “people’s economic life is returning to normal” as the infections have come down, Father Chen said.
As of March 20, China had reported 81,967 Covid-19 cases and 3,248 deaths. However, the number of newly diagnosed cases on March 18 was only 34, all of which were cases imported from overseas. The death toll also came down on March 18 with only eight fatalities.
Italy overtook China in terms of deaths with 3,405 fatalities from 41,035 cases. Some 475 people died in Italy on March 18 alone.
Father Chen pointed out that China has good relations with both the Vatican and Italy. The Vatican has donated masks to China since January (Sunday Examiner, February 9). He said the pandemic has not severely affected the Vatican and that the masks the Vatican receives would be distributed to “the needy people on the streets, which is admirable and an urgency.”
The Archdiocese of Milan covers the hardest-hit area of Italy and some groups and families in Milan have supported the students of the Shaanxi Theological Institute for many years, Father Chen observed, adding that several church members had privately funded the donation.
“Italy needs help now. We will continue to do our best to raise more materials to donate to them to fight the epidemic,” he said.
“We sincerely hope that these donations, however small they are, will help some people. It will also help promote the friendship between China and the Vatican, and China and Italy,” Father Chen said.
