Pope Francis conveyed his annual Easter message “Urbi et Orbi” (“To the city and into the world”) to a small group of believers in St. Peter’s Basilica on Sunday, while the coronavirus pandemic ban kept the usual audience of around 70,000 pilgrims for a second Year away from St. Peter’s Square.
The Pope conveyed the message after presiding over the Easter mass in the presence of about 200 believers.
Francis spoke of the economic and social difficulties many people, and especially the poor, are experiencing due to the pandemic that has recently worsened in Italy and much of Europe. He also addressed the ongoing armed conflict, civil unrest and increased military spending in Myanmar, Syria, Yemen, Nigeria and other regions and nations.
As in the past, the leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics urged the international community “in a spirit of global responsibility” to ensure that everyone had access to vaccines, which he considered “an essential tool” in the fight against the US designated pandemic. Delivery delays had to be overcome to “facilitate their distribution, especially in the poorest countries,” said Francis.
He called on all governments to take care of the many people who have lost jobs and faced economic difficulties as a result of the pandemic, as well as those who lack “adequate social protection”.
“The pandemic has unfortunately dramatically increased the numbers of the poor and the despair of thousands of people,” he said.
The Pope also noted the youth’s difficulty “being forced to spend long periods of time without going to school or university or spending time with their friends”. He paid tribute to the children who had written meditations on Good Friday for the Torchlight Way of the Cross, which this year took place in front of the basilica instead of the Colosseum and spoke of loneliness and sadness as a result of the pandemic.
“The risen Christ is hope for all who continue to suffer from the pandemic, both the sick and those who have lost a loved one,” said Francis.
