VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is denouncing the mafia and all those who are taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to make money.
Francis opened his morning Mass on Wednesday by praying that "all those who profit off the needs of others, and sell them" experience spiritual conversion.
Francis’ homily was dedicated to the biblical story of Judas betraying Jesus — a narrative Christians commemorate this week in the run-up to liturgical services marking Christ’s Last Supper, crucifixion and resurrection.
In his remarks, Francis said everyone has a "little Judas inside of us" who makes a choice between loyalty to others or self-interest. He said: "Each one of us has the capacity to betray, to sell others, to choose our own interests."
Speaking of mobsters and money lenders, he said: "May the Lord touch their hearts and convert them."
Italian officials have warned that organized crime groups are maneuvering to profit off the social and economic disruptions caused by Italy's virus-induced nationwide shutdown. In the United States, numerous scams have been reported in which people sell bogus cures, vaccines and home-testing kits for the virus — all of which are frauds.
Virus Infections Rise Again in Spain
MADRID — Spain's Health Ministry on Wednesday reported 757 new deaths of patients with coronavirus and 6,180 new confirmed infections.
Both figures were slightly higher than Tuesday's, when the first increase in five days was explained by a backlog of test results and fatalities that had gone unreported over the weekend.
But doubts about the statistics are being heard louder as fresh data start to emerge.
Authorities have already acknowledged that scarcity of testing kits and a bottleneck in the number of tests that laboratories can conduct on a daily basis are giving an underestimated contagion tally, which rose to 146,000 on Wednesday. A nationwide survey of 30,000 households has been launched to figure out what is the approximate extent of the epidemic beyond hospitals and nursing homes.
Health Minister Salvador Illa said Tuesday that his department can account only for those who die and were tested. There have been few instances of post-mortem testing.
To rein in the data divide, Spain's Justice Ministry issued an order Wednesday requiring more than 4,000 civil registries across the country to provide new and revised data.
African Leaders Blast Trump’s Attack on WHO
JOHANNESBURG — African leaders are bristling at President Trump's attack on the World Health Organization chief, after Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke up this week against "racist" comments by two French doctors who said a coronavirus vaccine could be tested in Africa.
Tedros condemned the remarks as leftovers of a "colonial mentality." Tedros is from Ethiopia and is the first African to lead the World Health Organization.
"Surprised to learn of a campaign by the U.S. govt against WHO's global leadership. The African Union fully supports WHO and Dr. Tedros," the chair of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, tweeted.
"I agree with you, my brother. WHO, under the stewardship of Dr. Tedros, has shown itself to be a true flag-bearer of multilateralism when global solidarity has become critical," Namibia's President Hage Geingob responded in a tweet.
Pandemic Used as Excuse for Abortion Bans
BRUSSELS — A hundred nongovernmental organizations including human and women's rights groups are urging European governments to implement measures safeguarding access to abortion during the Covid-19 epidemics.
In a statement Wednesday, they asked governments to recognize abortion as an essential care.
Their call came as Poland's parliament prepares to put on the agenda a strict new abortion law. The Eastern European country already has some of the continent's most restrictive abortion laws.
"European governments must act urgently to guarantee safe and timely access to abortion care during the Covid-19 pandemic," said Leah Hoctor, the regional director for Europe at the Center for Reproductive Rights. "They should move swiftly to eradicate all medically unnecessary requirements that hamper access to abortion care and should authorize women to access early medical abortion from their homes."