Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1231020
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 APRIL 2020 OPINION members of their own religion. We saw this at the height of the divorce referendum campaign in 2011: when a former Ecclesiastical Tribunal judge emerged from re- tirement, to contradict Archbish- op Paul Cremona on the subject of Christ's teachings about divorce. More recently, there was the case of Fr David Muscat – who public- ly embraced what the Church itself described as "ideologies that sow hatred and discrimination on the basis of race or culture" - a refer- ence to his outspoken support for Nazi sympathiser Norman Lowell. So while the official messages emanating from the Vatican (or its local branch, the Archbishop's Cu- ria) might, so far, have been along the lines that… 'no, silly, of course it's not a punishment from God!'… it doesn't automatically mean that Church officials placed lower down in the ecclesiastical hierarchy might not be preaching different, if not opposite, views. This in turn raises a separate question, that is (or should be) of interest to the Church authorities themselves. How much of what we generally term 'Catholicism' is, in fact, a reflection of the official teachings of the Catholic Church… and how much of it is dictated di- rectly by priests and other individ- uals who – unlike the Archbishop, and still less the Pope – have direct, person-to-person influence over their respective communities? I don't have answers for any of these questions, by the way. But I do know that I live in a country where prejudice and discrimination are not merely commonplace, but also seemingly endemic; and I am genu- inely curious to know how much of this unpleasant reality can, in fact, be traced to religiously-motivated hatred implanted in our collective consciousness over the generations. So make no mistake: no matter how archaic the question might sound, when phrased in the (typi- cally dramatic) style of a Xarabank teaser… it has to be asked all the same; even for the sole purpose of determining whether, or to what extent, this frighteningly pagan mindset still haunts the corridors of popular imagination in the 21st century. THE exceptional times that we are living are pulling us apart from each other and at the same time, demand a strong col- lective effort from us. We can and will manage this challenge together. Like so many these days, I'm now working from home, from where I'm writing this article. With my children with me for company and comfort, and though I am worried for them and their future, I can say that I'm still one of the lucky ones. But for millions of people in the EU and in the world, life right now is much tougher. Some, including elderly peo- ple and the most vulnerable, are ill, or may be living alone. Others have no home of their own to go to. And heroes work around the clock to fight this virus on the frontline. At this time it is important to stress that we may be sep- arated physically but we are united. And we are stronger together. This is what our leaders expressed as wish and commitment in the frame- work of Thursday's G20. And as Team Europe, we must be united. The Euro- pean Union and its Mem- ber States are responding. We are working hard to contain the spread of the coronavirus – both in Eu- rope and beyond. This global crisis requires a global response. As long as the crisis con- tinues somewhere in the world, we will not be safe. As Commissioner for In- ternational Partnerships, I am working tirelessly to make sure that the EU plays its part in waging the global fight against this pandemic effectively, with a particular attention to the most fragile countries. Confronted with this un- precedented global crisis, the EU is taking its responsibili- ties as a global player very seriously. We act together with our partner countries to identify the needs and provide the necessary assistance to respond, in this fast-evolving situation. To do that, we need to put the varied tools and resources we have for the external action to full use in our coordi- nated work with our partner countries. We will make an impact through a comprehensive and coordinated contribution to the global fight against the coronavirus. Our approach must be comprehensive, tackling public health and socio-economic challenges together, using joined-up, coherent measures – measures designed to work now and in the foreseeable future. We're in this for the long haul. On the health front, in line with the broader internation- al response, we need to pursue key policy priorities where there are important resource gaps. We need to step up support efforts and boost response capacities in countries with the weakest health systems. This is what EU leaders committed to: ensure internation- al cooperation in tackling this pandemic and continue to assist vulnerable countries and communities around the world, especially in Africa. It is also important to provide additional medical sup- plies and equipment where needed and make sure that health workers have enough protective equipment. Great- er regional collaboration is also key. We have to keep working on new diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines. We know that this policy mix can work. Our support for our partner countries in their efforts to counter the social and economic impact of the crisis needs to be equally wide-ranging and robust. It must include helping with measures to support peo- ple's incomes, provide them with some form of social protection, protect workers at the workplace, prevent discrimination and social exclusion, and safeguard human rights, especially where women, girls and the most vulnerable in so- ciety are concerned. Moreover, our approach works when it is as coor- dinated as it is compre- hensive. This means all EU institutions and Mem- ber States have to work together as a real Team Europe to provide our ef- fective contribution to the global response. It also means showing leadership in our efforts to form a united front against the pandemic with other major international play- ers, partner governments, financial institutions, civil society, the private sector and others. So, those who predicted the demise of multilateralism spoke too soon. There is now global recognition that the world must put aside its differences and come together against a common threat. By leaving no one behind, by promoting solidarity and acting in a truly inclusive way. Solidarity and partnership between nations sum up the European Union's very essence. That's why we consist- ently champion international cooperation. We work on strengthening our international partner- ships around the globe – now, and when this terrible virus has become a distant memory. For now, though, the virus is very much a part of our lives. But if we look after ourselves, and look out for each other – even from a distance – we can beat it, and emerge stronger and more united than ever and offer the brighter future we all wish for our children. All we need to do is understand that we're all in this to- gether and act one for all and all for one. This is what Europe is about. Jutta Urpilainen Team Europe with our partners against COVID-19 Jutta Urpilainen is European Commissioner for International Partnerships There is now global recognition that the world must put aside its differences and come together against a common threat. By leaving no one behind, by promoting solidarity and acting in a truly inclusive way