Pope Francis prays over the internet and talks about coronavirus

“It’s a bit strange this Angelus prayer today with the pope caged in the library, but I see you and I am close to you,” said the pope via streaming

Pope Francis expressed this Sunday (8), in prayer for the first time via the Internet “streaming” of the Apostolic Palace library, “proximity” with patients of coronavirus. After that, he approached the window to share the blessing.

“It’s a bit strange this Angelus prayer today with the pope caged in the library, but I see you and I am close to you,” he said, before going to the window, in front of a few faithful scattered in the square of São Pedro.

The Vatican had already announced yesterday that the pope would say his Sunday prayer via internet streaming, straight from the Vatican, to meet the measures required by the Italian government to contain the virus. This is the first time that the Argentine pope has resorted to this system, already used in the past by John Paul II when he was very ill, as well as shortly after the attack on which he was targeted in 1981.

With the measure, the objective of the Holy See was to avoid agglomg more than a meter apart. There were no lines, as usual, to pass security controls.

These choices are necessary in order to avoid the risk of diffusion of the COVID–19 due to the gathering during the security controls for access to the square, as also requested by the Italian authorities,” the statement read. Until March 15, the faithful will not be allowed to attend masses at the Santa Marta residence. In addition, the Supreme Pontiff will celebrate the Eucharist in private.

St. Peter’s Basilica will remain open, with a gradual flow of access. The Pope’s weekly audience, on Wednesdays, “will be held under the same conditions”, that is, by “streaming”.

The 83-year-old pope has not left the Vatican for more than a week now.

The smallest state in the world, with 0.44 km2 and 450 inhabitants, the Vatican announced on Friday its first case of coronavirus. The case was detected in a modest medical center, located near one of the access doors to its territory.

The Italian government decided on Sunday to quarantine more than 15 million people in the north of the country, about 25% of the total population, in an unprecedented measure to try to contain the spread of the new coronavirus in the territory.

In the decree sanctioned by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, the government also ordered the closure of museums, theaters, cinemas, concert halls, pubs, game rooms and other similar establishments across the country by April 3.

Sports competitions are suspended, although some events can be held behind closed doors, that is, without an audience.