Pope Francis today, Pentecost Sunday, issued his message for World Mission Day 2020, stressing that the mission of the Church continues despite the Covid-19 pandemic. World Mission Sunday is celebrated on October 18 in 2020.
“In this year marked by the suffering and challenges created by the Covid-19 pandemic, the missionary journey of the whole Church continues in light of the words found in the account of the calling of the prophet Isaiah: ‘Here am I, send me’ (6:8),” the Holy Father said. “Understanding what God is saying to us at this time of pandemic also represents a challenge for the Church’s mission. Illness, suffering, fear, and isolation challenge us.
“The poverty of those who die alone, the abandoned, those who have lost their jobs and income, the homeless, and those who lack food challenge us. Being forced to observe social distancing and to stay at home invites us to rediscover that we need social relationships as well as our communal relationship with God. Far from increasing mistrust and indifference, this situation should make us even more attentive to our way of relating to others.”