Bishop Hugh has encouraged Christians throughout the diocese to make the care of society’s most vulnerable people their priority, in the face of a second wave of Coronavirus.
Bishop Hugh said: “We are facing a tough winter, and many people are already running low on reserves – their energy, their money, their resilience. Many people are tired of all the challenge and change, but this situation isn’t going away any time soon, so we need to stay committed to caring and looking out for one another – and especially for those who are suffering most.
“It’s universally acknowledged that both the ongoing and new restrictions that have been put into place to try and protect people from Covid-19 will impact severely on our economy. Unemployment is rising and we face a difficult winter. This illness already disproportionately affects our poorest, weakest and most vulnerable neighbours. And sadly, the number of people falling into that category is set to rise.
‘We need to pace ourselves’
“It is clear that we are now having to learn to live with Covid, and that we will be in this situation for some time. That means we need to pace ourselves.
“Church communities who have been working so hard to care for others cannot continue spreading themselves perpetually ever-thinner. It is important that our clergy and church communities take care not to burn themselves out.
“That may mean prioritising and making some tough decisions about what they can do, what they may need to start doing, and also potentially what they should stop doing. As we make those choices, I encourage everyone to keep service to our neighbours at the top of our list.
“I have been incredibly impressed by the way that our churches in Cornwall have risen to the challenges that the Covid-19 pandemic have brought, and know that they will continue to respond prayerfully, creatively, lovingly, and practically,” said the Bishop of St Germans.
