Pope Francis urged priests to visit coronavirus patients, despite Italy’s national lockdown.
“Let us pray to the Lord also for our priests, that they may have the courage to go out and go to the sick people bringing the strength of God’s word and the Eucharist and accompany the health workers and volunteers in this work that they are doing,” Francis said Tuesday in a televised mass.
More than 9,000 people in Italy have tested positive for the coronavirus. The Italian government on Monday extended its lockdown from northern Italy, where the outbreak has been most severe, to the entire country, which has about 60 million people.
The Vatican has confirmed one case of the disease and has placed five more in quarantine. Although an independent city-state, it is respecting the lockdown imposed by the Italian government, and restricting movement in and out of the city.
Francis livestreamed his Sunday address, as well as subsequent masses, as a precautionary measure against the virus. The pope came down with an illness two weeks ago but tested negative for the coronavirus last week, according to Vatican officials.
