The pope supports the extraordinary measures being taken in Italy and other countries to contain the epidemic.
POPE FRANCIS
“I ask you to pray for authorities. They have to make decisions, and many times they have to make decisions on measures people don't like. However, it is for our own good. So many times, people in authority feel alone, misunderstood. Let us pray for our government leaders, who have to make decisions on these measures. May they feel accompanied by the prayer of the people.”
Before Mass, the pope also remembered those most impacted by the coronavirus.
POPE FRANCIS
“Let us continue to pray together, in this moment of the pandemic, for the sick, their families and parents with children at home.”
The pope is celebrating Mass without pilgrims, in the presence of only his closest collaborators. It is being streamed live, as a sign of solidarity with people in places where Mass cannot be celebrated.