World Religious Leaders Call for a People’s Vaccine

• Culture of Peace

COVID-19 is a global pandemic & it requires a global response ? 

This unprecedented public health crisis calls, above all, for global solidarity, for all people to stand together as brothers and sisters.  

EMERGENCY is a proud member of the People’s Vaccine Alliance, which has today received support from religious leaders calling on governments and pharmaceutical corporations to: 

✓ Prevent monopolies on vaccine
✓ Implement fair allocation of the vaccine
✓ Ensure the vaccine is sold at affordable prices 

Read the full letter and list of signatories here: 

As religious leaders, we have witnessed the personal stories behind the Covid statistics – we have, every day, heard the cries, shared with us, of the suffering, the frightened, and the bereaved.  

We have witnessed too the profound love shown by those working at the frontline, and by those who have reached out to help their neighbours.  

The Covid crisis has reminded us all of our interdependence, and of our responsibilities to care for one another. We can each only be safe when all of us are safe. If one part of the world is left to suffer the pandemic, all parts of the world will be put at ever-increasing risk.  

The access of people to life-saving Covid-19 vaccines cannot be dependent on people’s wealth, status, or nationality. We cannot abdicate our responsibilities to our sisters and brothers by imagining that the market can be left to resolve the crisis or pretend to ourselves that we have no obligation to others in our shared humanity. Every person is precious. We have a moral obligation to reach everyone, in every country. 

Friar Marco Moroni, Custos of the Sacro Convent in Assisi said, “The vaccine is for everyone and must be made available as soon as possible. The selfishness of the few threatens the planet and we cannot accept it. We still have time – humanity is one and we are called upon to walk together without being afraid, with courage, and without the ‘dread’ of being left behind.

Humanity is breaking into pieces. We are only looking after ourselves. Ready to close our doors. Ready to turn away and hide the reality, the bitter reality: distrust, selfishness and suffering. We have forgotten the doctors and nurses who have lost their lives in recent months. These people fulfilled the law of love manifested by Jesus at the Last Supper: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. (John 15:13).” It is here, as Blaise Pascal said, that “man infinitely transcends man”. 

Right now, despite the incredible success in developing so many safe and effective vaccines in record time, and the relief of seeing them being rolled out, with deaths starting to decline as a result, it pains us greatly that access to the vaccines is so inequitable. Rich countries have been able to ramp up vaccination efforts and secure doses whilst in most low- and middle-income countries vaccines are only beginning to trickle in. At the current pace of vaccine production and distribution, people in much of the world may not be vaccinated until at least 2024. The consequences for the poorest individuals, families, and communities, will be devastating.  

Neglect would undermine the dignity not only of those left behind, but also of those who have left them behind.  

This unprecedented public health crisis calls, above all, for global solidarity, for all people to stand together as brothers and sisters. The same spirit of unity and common purpose that has driven scientists to develop Covid-19 vaccines at breathtaking speed, that drives the care of those tending to the sick, must also inspire the leaders of government, civil society and the private sector to massively ramp up vaccine production so there are sufficient doses for every person in the world to be vaccinated.  

We call on all leaders to reject vaccine nationalism and embrace a commitment to global vaccine equity.  

As religious leaders, we join our voices to the call for vaccines that are made available to all people as a global common good – a People’s Vaccine. This is the only way to end the pandemic. 

Let us work together to build a more just and peaceful world. 

To love is to take action.  

Signed:  

1.                  Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, President, Sojourners 
2.                  Imam Ahmed Ghanem, Göteborg mosque, Gothenburg, Sweden 
3.                  The Most Revd Dr Albert Chama, Archbishop of Central Africa and Chair of the Anglican Alliance 
4.                  Adrian Cristea, Executive Officer, Dublin City Inter-faith Forum 
5.                  Ann Scholz, SSND, Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) 
6.                  His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London 
7.                  Anthony Nanson 
8.                  Avera Health 
9.                  Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp, Netherlands 
10.              Fr. Bernhard Bürgler SJ – Provincial of the Austrian Province of the Society of Jesus 
11.              Blessing Makwara, General Secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe 
12.              The Revd Canon Bob Fyffe, General Secretary, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland 
13.              Rabbi Bonnie Margulis, President of the Board at Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice 
14.              Rev. Brian D. McLaren, USA 
15.              Brigid Lawlor, Province Advocacy Liaison, Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, US Provinces 
16.              The Rev. Cn. Bruce W. Woodcock, Asia and the Pacific Partnership Officer for the Episcopal Church 
17.              Carolyn Lawrence, Vice-President of the Methodist Conference 
18.              Rev. Charles Berahino, Executive Secretary for Peace and Diakonia at the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) 
19.              Rev. Chris Hudson, Moderator, Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church in Ireland 
20.              Christopher Cox 
21.              The Rev. Christopher Frye, St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church, Chambersburg, PA 
22.              Revd Clare Downing, Moderator of General Assembly, United Reformed Church 
23.              The Rev. Clelia P. Garrity, LCSW, Diocesan Missioner for Global Refuge Missions 
24.              Rev. Colin Holtz, President, Faithful America Board of Directors 
25.              Commissioner Anthony Cotterill, Salvation Army Territorial Commander, United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland  
26.              Revd Duncan Dormor, General Secretary, USPG 
27.              Fr Damian Howard SJ 
28.              Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, Scholar in Residence, National Council of Jewish Women 
29.              Bishop David Musumba, Free Pentecostal Fellowship in Kenya 
30.              Rev. Derrick Jones, Supervisor of RCA Mission programs in Africa 
31.              Dominican Sisters, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA 
32.              Rev Dyfrig Rees, General Secretary of the Union of Welsh Independents 
33.              Eddy Ruble, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship 
34.              Edwin Graham, Coordinator, Northern Ireland Inter-faith Forum 
35.              Sister Eileen Gannon, Sparkill, NY 
36.              Elijah M. Brown, General Secretary, Baptist World Alliance 
37.              Emmanuel Ahua 
38.              Sr. Emily TeKolste, SP, Network Lobby for Catholic Social Justice 
39.              Rev. Erik Oland S.J., Provincial – Jesuits of Canada 
40.              Esther Mombo 
41.              Franck Janin, President, Jesuit Conference of European Provincials 
42.              Franciscan Action Network 
43.              Rev. Fredrick Gilbert 
44.              Gustavo Calderón, S.J. Provincial de Ecuador – COMPAÑIA DE JESÚS 
45.              Hazel Loney, Lay Leader, Methodist Church in Ireland 
46.              Haider Ibrahim, Chairman, Islamic Shia communities in Sweden 
47.              Rev. Hodari Williams, New Life Church, Atlanta, Georgia, USA 
48.              Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, Imam 
49.              Very Revd Dr Ivan Patterson, President, Irish Council of Churches 
50.              Rabbi Jacob Siegel 
51.              The Rev. James L. Reisner 
52.              Fr. Jan Roser SJ, Provincial 
53.              Sr. Jane Herb, IHM Sisters of Monroe, Michigan – President 
54.              Jason Miller, Franciscan Action 
55.              Javier Perez, Director of Global Missions Programs & Impact, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship 
56.              Rev Jennifer Butler, Faith in Public Life 
57.              Rev Dr Jennie Hurd, Chair of the Methodist Church Cymru Synod 
58.              Jennifer Lau – Executive Director, Canadian Baptist Ministries 
59.              P. Jesus Zaglul, Casa Generalicia de los jesuitas, Roma 
60.              Jim Winkler, President, National Council of Churches 
61.              Sr. Joan Mumaw IHM 
62.              John Celichowski, OFM Cap., NAPCC Novitiate, Santa Ynez, CA 
63.              Rev. John Chan, Canadian Baptist Ministries 
64.              The Most Reverend John Davies, Archbishop of Wales 
65.              Most Revd John McDowell, Archbishop of Armagh, Church of Ireland 
66.              Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism 
67.              Rev. Canon Joseph P Collins 
68.              The Most Revd Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion 
69.              The Rev’d Fr. Johannes Mokgethi-Heath, Act Church of Sweden 
70.              Rev. Julia Bowering, Canadian Baptist Ministries 
71.              Rev Judith Morris, General Secretary of the Union of Welsh Baptists 
72.              Judith Toner, member NY State UCC Global Ministries Committee 
73.              Judy Byron, OP, Inter-Community Peace & Justice Center, Seattle, Washington, USA 
74.              D. Kang-San Tan, BMS World Mission 
75.              Pastor Kay Woike, Church of the Nativity, United Church Of Christ 
76.              Ven. Kofi deGraft-Johnson, CAPA Secretariat, Nairobi, Kenya 
77.              Dr. Krish Kandiah, Greater Good Global 
78.              Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner, Former Senior Rabbi, Reform Judaism 
79.              Dr. Lauren Jinshil Oliver, founder, CirclesWork.net 
80.              Lawrence Couch, National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd 
81.              Lawrence Gilley, United Church of Christ, Deansboro, New York, USA 
82.              Dr. Lesmore Gibson, All Africa Conference of Churches 
83.              The Most Reverence Archbishop Linda Nicholls, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada 
84.              Louise Hannem, Canadian Baptist Ministries 
85.              Janice Tsang, Co-convenor of the Anglican Health & Community Network (AHCN) 
86.              Lucas Lopez Perez SJ, del equipo de la Conferencia de Provinciales Jesuitas de Amerrica Latina y el Caribe 
87.              Rev. Luis Cortes, Jr. President Emeritus Hispanic Clergy, President & CEO, Esperanza 
88.              Rt Revd Luke Pato, Bishop of Namibia and Co-Convenor of the Anglican Health & Community Network 
89.              Friar Marco Moroni, Sacro Convento of Assisi 
90.              Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church 
91.              Right Reverend Dr Martin Fair, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 
92.              Mary Ellen Holohan,Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, Member of Congregational Leadership Team 
93.              Rt Revd Dr Michael Beasley, Bishop of Hertford and Co-Convener of Anglican Health & Community Network 
94.              Archbishop Miguel Cabrejos Vidarte OFM 
95.              Mohamed Temsamani, Chairman of United Islamic Associations of Sweden 
96.              Archbishop Mouneer Anis 
97.              Margaret Rose, The Episcopal Church 
98.              Marie Dennis, Pax Christi International 
99.              Rev. Dr. Martin Junge, General Secretary, Lutheran World Federation 
100.          Mary J. Novak, Executive Director, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice 
101.          Rev. Maxwell Doss – General Secretary, National Christian Council of Sri Lanka 
102.          Merritt Johnston, Baptist World Alliance 
103.          Rev. Nathan Empsall, Executive Director of Faithful America 
104.          Nathan Jones, Oasis Waterloo 
105.          Nick Park, Executive Director, Evangelical Alliance Ireland 
106.          Rabbi Nora Feinstein 
107.          Patricia Millen, Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia 
108.          Bishop Paul Horan, Diocese of Mutare, Zimbabwe 
109.          Paul Parker, Quakers in Britain 
110.          Peter Pay, Moderator of General Assembly, United Reformed Church 
111.          Sister Pegge Boehm, PBVM, Sisters of the Presentation of the BVM of Aberdeen SD 
112.          Cardinal Peter Turkson, Prefect, Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development 
113.          Sister Quincy Howard, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice 
114.          Rev. Randy Stanton 
115.          Rebecca Linder Blachly, Director, The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations 
116.          Revd Richard Teal, President of the Methodist Conference 
117.          Richard Walters, The Pension Boards-United Church of Christ, Inc. 
118.          Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President, Union for Reform Judaism 
119.          Roberto Jaramillo Bernal, S.J., Presidente de la Conferencia de Provincias, Jesuitas de America Latina y El Caribe 
120.          Sr. Rose Marie Jasinski, CBS 
121.          Dr. Rowan Williams, UK 
122.          Sacro Convento of Assisi 
123.          Rt Revd Sarah Groves, Moravian Church 
124.          Rev. Fr. Seamus Finn OMI, Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate- US Province 
125.          Sheila Katz, CEO National Council of Jewish Women, USA 
126.          Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, Network Lobby for Catholic Social Justice 
127.          Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth Leadership 
128.          Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Justice Team 
129.          Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace 
130.          Rev. S.J.Wilson, Atlanta GA 
131.          Rev. Dr. Stephen Wigley, Chair of the Wales Synod of the Methodist Church 
132.          Susan Gunn, MaryKnoll Office for Global Concerns 
133.          Rabbi Suzan E. Lipson 
134.          Rev. Sylvestre BIZIMANA, General Secretary, National Council of Churches of Burundi 
135.          Dr. Tarunjit Singh Butalia, Executive Director, Religions for Peace USA 
136.          Fr. Ted Penton, SJ, Secretary of Justice and Ecology, Jesuit Conference of Canada and the US 
137.          The Most Revd Dr Thabo Cecil Makgoba, Archbishop of Cape Town 
138.          Rev Dr Tom McKnight, President, Methodist Church in Ireland 
139.          Bishop Venson Shava 
140.          Vicky Heslop, Jampa Ling Tibetan Buddhist Centre 
141.          Wanda M Lundy, Siloam-Hope First Presbyterian Church/ New York Theological Seminary 
142.          Rev. Wayne A. Laws, Minister of Social Justice & Mission at Mountain View United Church 
143.          Bishop William Crean, Bishop of Cloyne and Chair of the Trócaire Board of Directors 
144.          Xavier Jeyaraj SJ, Secretary for Social Justice and Ecology, Curia Generalizia, Rome 
145.          Dr. Zahid Bukhari, Executive Director, Center for Islam and Public Policy