Calling it the \u201cthe most challenging\ncrisis we have faced since the Second World War,\u201d UN Secretary-General Antonio\nGuterres has declared the COVID-19 pandemic to be \u201cmuch more than a health\ncrisis. It is a human crisis. The coronavirus disease is attacking societies at\ntheir core.\u201d His words are a vivid reminder that as the world began rebuilding\nafter the desolation of World War II, the United Nations in its Universal\nDeclaration of Human Rights unequivocally proclaimed the indispensable\nfoundation upon which society rests: \u201cThe family is the natural and fundamental\ngroup unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.\u201d This\noft-forgotten reality is being re-discovered as the global pandemic sends multitudes\nhome to the ultimate human refuge, the family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, mankind is likewise\nre-discovering its shared humanity and relationship to Deity. \u201cThese trying\ntimes are also allowing us to re-discover our common humanity as brothers and\nsisters,\u201d stated the Commission of the Bishops\u2019 Conferences of the European\nUnion and the Conference of European Churches in a joint statement, while the\nReverend Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, declared,\n\u201cAt this challenging time, prayerful activities that unite us are a reminder that\nwe are one human family.\u201d When Pope Francis introduced his prayer for the\nworld, he stated, \u201cAs\ntrusting sons and daughters, we turn to the Lord\u201d and \u201cimplore mercy for all of\nhumanity so harshly tried by the coronavirus pandemic. We will\ndo so together, Christians of every church and community, of every age,\nlanguage and nation.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That same day, the Interfaith Encounter Association (bringing together Israelis and Palestinians of different faiths) announced its \u201cInterfaith Prayer for Humanity\u2019s Health\u201d by explaining that, \u201cAs both the pope called Christians to pray at midday and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel called Jews to pray at 4:30 p.m. that day\u2014for the same goal to implore God to rid the world of the coronavirus pandemic\u2014we thought it would be most appropriate to connect the two with an interfaith prayer in the middle.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These extraordinary expressions of worldwide faith are a timely herald to the sacred festivals about to be observed by Jews and Christians. At Passover, Jews remember how God saved their ancestors by protecting them when the deadly plague that befell Egypt passed over the Israelites. For Christians, Passover is remembered as the last meal Jesus ate with His disciples before His Passion and glorious resurrection, which is celebrated on Easter. Both celebrations point to the power and mercy of God, to whom mankind now turns for relief from COVID-19. At this critical time of crisis, the International Organization for the Family joins with our brothers and sisters around the world as we, anchored in faith and family, pray to the Creator of all mankind for deliverance and healing. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Faith and Family as Anchors in a Time of Crisis<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":13559,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"mc4wp_mailchimp_campaign":[],"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"subtitle":"Faith and Family as Anchors in a Time of Crisis","format":"standard","video":"","gallery":"","source_name":"","source_url":"","via_name":"","via_url":"","override":[{"single_blog_custom":"","sidebar":"","second_sidebar":"","share_position":"","share_float_style":"","post_date_format":"","post_date_format_custom":"","post_reading_time_wpm":"","zoom_button_out_step":"1","zoom_button_in_step":"1","number_popup_post":"1"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"","single_post_gallery_size":""}],"trending_post_position":"","trending_post_label":""},"jnews_primary_category":{"id":"510"},"jnews_social_meta":{"fb_title":"","fb_description":"","fb_image":"","twitter_title":"","twitter_description":"","twitter_image":""},"jnews_override_counter":{"view_counter_number":"0","share_counter_number":"0","like_counter_number":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[804,510,805],"tags":[1587,2676,2677],"class_list":["post-13545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-family","category-foreground","tag-covid-19","tag-easter","tag-passover"],"yoast_head":"\n