Lessons from the past : renewing solidarity during the current pandemic

Abstract

The current COVID-19 pandemic is in many ways unprecedented in recent history, or so we have been told. However, it shares some characteristics with other recent crises, like the tragic heat wave that hit Europe in 2003, resulting in the death of 70,000 persons, 15,000 of them in France alone. What links both health crises is that, in each case, the large majority of victims were the elderly, or younger persons with pre-existing conditions. One wonders whether, beyond what concerns global health, one should consider who might be more affected (elderly) and whether the exclusion of vulnerable persons from our worldview deserves our attention. Other health crises highlight human vulnerability. Admittedly, those crises are far removed from us in both time and culture. However, they might help us shed light on how we can respond as Christians, or indeed as members of the human family.