The pandemic is hitting all communities hard, especially religious ones, like Maryknoll, in Ossining, New York, with members becoming ill and dying.

Earth Day was created in 1970 by Democratic Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin.

Pope Francis expressed his closeness and support to France, where Covid-19 has claimed more than 20,000 lives.

“Some of our individual hospitals are experiencing losses upwards of $1 million to $2 million [per] day, while some of our health systems are reporting revenue losses in the range of $200-$600 million per month.”

The fund will operate "thanks to the active collaboration of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) and the Pontifical Mission for Palestine," the statement said.

Catholic clergy in Africa are concerned that there could be a rise in violence and insurgency during the pandemic, leading to more political and civil disruption.