Mr Francis of the Vatican church has claimed that he has asked God to stop the coronavirus epidemic “with his hand” and said people should use their time in quarantine to reconnect with their families. As per reports, while speaking to Italian publication La Repubblica on Wednesday, Mr Francis said he had asked God to stop coronavirus epidemic in Italy ‘with his hand’.
Italy, the country that surrounds Vatican church is battling with the most acute outbreak of COVID-19 outside of China, with 31,506 infections and 2,503 deaths as of Tuesday. Mr Francis, who is the Pope of the Vatican church, has been spending the last few days in the Vatican. However, despite the lockdown, he prayed for the victims of coronavirus in two churches in the Italian capital.
“I asked the Lord to stop the epidemic,” Pope Francis said, describing how he prayed on Sunday afternoon when he walked on “pilgrimage” along the streets of Rome, which has been devastated by the Corona outbreak. “Lord, stop it with your hand. That’s what I prayed for,” said Francis to the media.
The 83-year-old Francis continued, “We must rediscover the concrete nature of small things, of making small gestures toward those around us – family, friends. They are gestures of tenderness, of affection, of compassion, which is nonetheless decisive and important – for example, a hot dish, a caress, a hug, a phone call.” Covid-19 Coronavirus is highly contagious and health advisory across the world have been insisting on social distancing which minimises physical contact like hugs between people.
Addressing the people who have lost their family in the coronavirus crisis, Francis said, “I ask everyone to stay close to those who have lost loved ones, to be close to them in every possible way.” On Sunday, he strolled through the empty streets of the Vatican and walked to two churches to pray for those affected.
Pope Francis’ move comes days after he had urged Catholic priests in Italy to go out and meet the sick and accompany health workers and volunteers. However, when the healthcare workers are in middle of a highly contagious epidemic, it is unclear how the priests accompanying healthcare workers might help the patients.
Italy has emerged as the second most affected country in coronavirus after China with death toll nearing 3,000. On Wednesday, Italy reported 475 new deaths. Over 35,000 people in Italy have been infected.