Pope Francis on Friday wrote in The New York Times that ''the pandemic has reminded us that no one is saved alone,'' while calling on people around the world to focus on ''the common good.''
Francis wrote: ''To come out of this crisis better, we have to recover the knowledge that as a people we have a shared destination. The pandemic has reminded us that no one is saved alone.''
He noted, ''What ties us to one another is what we commonly call solidarity. Solidarity is more than acts of generosity, important as they are; it is the call to embrace the reality that we are bound by bonds of reciprocity. On this solid foundation we can build a better, different, human future.''
Francis went on to reflect on a serious health scare he suffered when he was 21 years old and had to have part of a lung removed.
''I had my first experience of limit, of pain and loneliness. It changed the way I saw life. For months, I didn’t know who I was or whether I would live or die,'' he wrote.
''I have some sense of how people with Covid-19 feel as they struggle to breathe on a ventilator,'' Francis added.
He ended his opinion piece with a rebuke of those who would ignore coronavirus restrictions.
''Looking to the common good is much more than the sum of what is good for individuals. It means having a regard for all citizens and seeking to respond effectively to the needs of the least fortunate,'' Francis said.