August was another month where the pope could only be followed by streaming or from a distance, from the window of the Pontifical Apartments.
From these places, the pope delivered messages of closeness to the areas hit by tragedies. The first was for Nicaragua. There, the chapel of the Blood of Christ was attacked with a molotov cocktail, leaving it in this state.
POPE FRANCIS
August 2, 2020
I think of the people of Nicaraguan who are suffering because of the attack on the Cathedral of Managua, where an image of Christ was seriously damaged—almost destroyed. [This image] is highly venerated and has accompanied and sustained the life of the faithful people for centuries. Dear Nicaraguan brothers and sisters, I am near you and am praying for you.
Pope Francis also closely followed the major explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, where there were many fatalities. More than 200 people died, and 7,000 were injured.
POPE FRANCIS
August 5, 2020
Let us pray for the victims and their families. Let us pray for Lebanon so that, through the commitment of all its social, political, and religious elements, it might face this extremely tragic and painful moment.
Pope Francis continued to reflect on the pandemic during Wednesday’s catechesis and called for help for the most vulnerable.
POPE FRANCIS
It would be sad if the vaccine for COVID-19, gives priority to the richest. It would be unfortunate if this vaccine became the property of one nation or another and is not universal and for everyone.
In August, St. Peter’s Square continued to experience an unusual lack of pilgrims compared to other years. Although the pandemic numbers in Italy were low, the lack of tourists was clearly noticeable. There were very few and mostly from Italy or other parts of Europe, such as Spain.
CARMELA MONSALVE
Tourist
“Strange. It’s strange. The previous times I’ve been here, the whole square was so packed that you couldn’t move. Seeing it now—this empty—is also kind of sad. It’s as if the world stopped turning, but we’ll enjoy it and take all the pictures we want without anyone bothering us.”
The pope called for prayers during August for the sea workers, whose lives and those of their families have been challenging. In fact, the European Maritime Safety Agency noted that between 2011 and 2020, 745 sailors died as a result of their work and that the number of injured is close to nine thousand.
Javier Romero
Translation: Christian Campos
