Pope Francis, in desolate St. Peter's Square, prays for end to coronavirusPope Francis prayed for an end to the coronavirus pandemic on Friday in front of an empty St. Peter's Square, as Italy continues to remain one of the most impacted regions in the world.
Speaking through the rain, Francis read from the Gospel during the hour-long ceremony and urged the world to view the crisis as a reminder of basic values.
"My God’s blessing come down upon you as a consoling embrace,†Francis said from the steps of St. Peter's Basilica, where he normally draws tens of thousands of worshippers. “Lord, bless the world. Give health to our bodies and comfort our hearts.â€.....
.........“We have realized that we are in the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other,†he said. “From this colonnade that embraces Rome and the whole world, may God’s blessing come down upon you as a consoling embrace.â€
At the end of the service, he delivered a blessing, the "Urbi et Orbi" prayer, normally reserved for Christmas and Easter...........
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