Shared responsibility to tackle infection rate
THE city mayor’s letter to faith communities in Leicester asking for an extension to the voluntary closure of places of worship has sparked a lot of discussion.
It is now very likely that the anniversary of the first lockdown – March 23, 2020 – will be marked by online events rather than in person in our churches, mosques, temples, synagogues and gurdwaras. This is deeply frustrating for many of us.
Faith communities are a vital resource, not only for those who attend our places of worship, but for all of us as we seek to emerge from this crisis with more kindness and justice in our world.
Issues of poverty, deprivation and trust seem to be increasingly relevant to rates of infection and of vaccine uptake and demand our attention. And the faith communities of Leicester have a superb track record of growing relationships and working together to serve those most in need in our society.
We can rightly be proud of the fact that other places look to us as an example of good interfaith work.
Yet the city mayor’s letter is a reminder that we must continue to do all we can to work together to tackle the virus. Despite all the excellent work of the NHS, our emergency services and public health teams, the infection rates are once again rising in some areas and are more than twice the national average in other areas.
We now face the distinct possibility of further local lockdowns even as the rest of the country has restrictions lifted.
I am therefore joining the city mayor in making an appeal to all our faith communities and all those who live and work in Leicester and Leicestershire to play your part in tackling the virus.
We simply cannot afford to blame others or point fingers at other groups. This is down to each of us individually and collectively to make a difference and to make one another proud of all that is good about this city and county.
The Rt Rev Martyn Snow,
Bishop of Leicester
We simply cannot afford to point fingers at other groups. This is down to each of us individually and collectively