Archbishop Thabo is specifically requesting that the Biden administration make the Moderna vaccine available in South Africa. He wants the Moderna vaccine because it is 94 per cent effective. Until recently, South Africa was preparing to begin injections of the Oxford / Astra-Zeneca vaccine, but the government halted the rollout because that vaccine has been shown to provide only minimal protection against a variant of the coronavirus first discovered in South Africa.

We have also agreed to further assess the situation immediately after the next NI Executive review of current lockdown provisions on Thursday 18th March 2021, in the cautious anticipation that, from Friday 2nd April (Good Friday) onwards, our parishioners in Northern Ireland could return to in--person gatherings for worship, with all necessary precautions and mitigations in place.

We encourage those who have concerns to again read the Statement itself, “Sexuality and Identity: A Pastoral Statement from the College of Bishops,” rather than be distracted by inaccurate commentary and misleading open letters. For additional context we also commend the letter, “Identity Matters,” from the bishop who chaired the taskforce. If you continue to have questions or concerns, please contact your local bishop.

The Retreat, called on the Government to tighten its security noose so as to guarantee the security of life and property in the country.