CHITTAGONG (UCAN): Archbishop Moses Costa of the Archdiocese Chittagong of in Bangladesh, tested positive for Covid-19 and is in a critical condition at Square Hospital in the capital city of Dhaka
Father Leonard Rebeiro, vicar general of the archdiocese, issued a statement on June 14 confirming the case.
The 70-year-old archbishop is the first known case among senior Catholic clergy in Bangladesh to be infected.
The news of Archbishop Costa’s illness sent shockwaves through Bangladeshi Christian communities at home and abroad. Hundreds posted on social media platforms like Facebook expressing concern and prayers for his speedy recovery.
Chittagong was among the first dioceses in Bangladesh to issue Covid-19 health guidelines and closed all churches to public liturgies even before Bangladesh declared a nationwide shutdown from March 26.
Bangladesh lifted the shutdown on May 31 and since then, all dioceses except Chittagong have opened churches for public liturgies including Masses.
All archdiocesan staff have been advised to stay in isolation and to continue working from home, an official said.
Archbishop Costa is secretary-general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh and chairperson of the Catholic Bishops’ Healthcare Commission.
The country recorded 90,619 confirmed Covid-19 cases, 1,209 deaths and 19,731 recoveries as of June 16.
