VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The coronavirus pandemichas shed light on other, “more widespread social diseases,” particularly attacks on the God-given humandignity of every person, Pope Francis said. “The pandemichas highlighted how vulnerable and interconnected we all are. If we do not take care of each other, starting with the least — those who are most affected, including creation — we cannot heal the world,” the pope said Aug. 12 at his weekly general audience. Pope Francis had announced a week earlier that he would begin a series of audience talks about Catholic social teaching, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The audience, which was livestreamed from the library of the Apostolic Palace, began with a reading from the Book of Genesis: “God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
