The Jesus the Divine Worker Fund aims to support workers who have lost their livelihoods during the pandemic PHOTO//Facebook/Vatican News

Pope Francis has established a special fund to help families and individuals who have lost their livelihoods and are in economic difficulty due to the coronavirus crisis.

Dubbed ‘Jesus the Divine Worker Fund’ will have a starting amount of $1.12 million.

The funds will be channelled through Caritas organization in the diocese can draw on to help those most in need.

It is expected to support Caritas work in countries badly hit by the pandemic such as South Sudan, Senegal, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa, India, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil.

The Vatican says many families are struggling to provide for their children and make sure they receive the bare minimum.

“As bishop of Rome I have decided to establish the ‘Jesus the Divine Worker Fund’ to reaffirm the dignity of work, with an initial allocation of one million euros”, writes Pope Francis in a letter to the Vicariate of Rome.

In the letter — dated 9 June and addressed to the Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome — the Pope explains the Fund aims to support those who have lost their jobs and their livelihoods because of the coronavirus pandemic.

He added that the funds will mostly target healthcare workers, and those in the informal sector, as government lifts the lockdown and the economy enters the pandemic recovery phase

The Pontiff appealed to the Roman priests to be the first to contribute to the Diocesan fund and to become “enthusiastic supporters of sharing” in their communities.

“And all of us, beginning with the institutions, are called to contribute to it,” he continued.

In April, Pope Francis asked the both active and retired priests of the Roman Catholic Church to contribute a month’s salary to the pope’s fund to help those gravely disadvantaged by the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Vatican News, the Holy Father urges people to stand in solidarity with each other during the pandemic.

“It is not sufficient to share only the superfluous…[with]…those who risk being excluded from institutional protection and who need support until they can walk again unaccompanied,” he stressed.

In May, the South Sudan Council of Churches announced the formation of an ecumenical task force which will complement the efforts of the country’s National High-level Taskforce on coronavirus.