Pope Francis On Coronavirus Vaccine: Sad If 'Priority Is Given To The Richest'

Pope Francis issued an impassioned and urgent appeal for a "universal COVID-19 vaccine" willingly shared by rich countries with the poor countries of the world. He said humanity must also cure the "larger virus" of social injustice.

In an address to guests at the Vatican on Wednesday, the pontiff urged the rich to make these vaccines "available to all," especially the poor. He said the followers of Jesus Christ can be identified by their closeness to the poor. He pointed out the raging COVID-19 pandemic has also "laid bare" class inequality worldwide.

“It would be sad if, for the vaccine for COVID-19, priority were to be given to the richest," he declared. "It would be sad if this vaccine were to become the property of this nation or another, rather than universal and for all."

The pope's comments followed a warning Tuesday by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, who appealed to world leaders to avoid what he called “vaccine nationalism.”

Dr. Tedros said countries that hoard COVID-19 vaccines will worsen the pandemic. He strongly urged rich countries to join a global pact by Aug. 31 to share their findings with developing nations. There are currently more than 150 candidate COVID-19 vaccines in development.

Pope Francis focused on the COVID-19 pandemic during his talk Wednesday. He urged a twofold response to the rampant pandemic, which had inflicted 22.2 million cases worldwide and killed 784,000 persons as of the day of his speech.

“On the one hand, it is essential to find a cure for this small but terrible virus, which has brought the whole world to its knees," he said. "On the other, we must also cure a larger virus, that of social injustice, inequality of opportunity, marginalization, and the lack of protection for the weakest."

He said that in this dual response for healing, there is a choice that cannot be lacking: the preferential option for the poor: "And this is not a political option; nor is it an ideological option, a party option… no. The preferential option for the poor is at the center of the Gospel. And the first to do this was Jesus.”

A recent study by The World Bank projected the global impacts of COVID-19, saying the pandemic could force an estimated 71 million people into extreme poverty by the end of the year.