Adapted from Anglican Communion News Service
Clergy in West Africa have challenged Anglicans worldwide to “live as their brothers’ keepers” and address the Ebola crisis.
Priests of the Anglican Diocese of Kumasi, Ghana, issued their challenge after attending a “Church and Community Response to Ebola” workshop.
“We challenge the international community to live as their brothers’ keepers,” the priests wrote. “We encourage Anglican Churches or Christian Churches the world over to express their solidarity by observing one Sunday as Ebola Sunday to pray and mobilize resources for the affected areas in the sub-region or West Africa.”
Irene des Bordes led the workshop at St. Cyprian’s Anglican Cathedral, Kumasi. It prompted the clergy to announce they would stop embracing and shaking hands during the Peace at church services; would only administer Holy Communion by intinction; would wear gloves, socks, and shoes when tending to the dead or those in hospital; and would wash their hands using running water and hand sanitizers.
Several provincial churches of the Anglican Communion, including in Nigeria, have announced similar precautions in trying to stop the spread of this disease that has killed 3,439 people and infected 7,494 to date. Experts say it could infect up to 1.5 million people by January.
The Most Rev. Daniel Sarfo, primate of the Province of West Africa, issued a statement welcoming the UN Mission on Ebola Emergency Response.
“Now Ebola is at war against humanity,” the archbishop said. “The world must act now to stop Ebola.”
Image by CDC/Cynthia Goldsmith [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
