In a video address, Pope Francis thanked caregivers and assured his audience that ‘spiritual communion‘ remains strong even during the isolation of the coronavirus epidemic. Gerard O’Connell reports from the Vatican.

The coronavirus has become Italy's most major crisis since World War II.

Pope Francis will continue his all-out efforts to eliminate the triple form of abuse by clergy in the church—the abuse of conscience, of power, of sex—and to ensure that a safe environment is established in all church institutions worldwide for children and young people.

The pope appeared to be in good health and appeared for a moment at the window at the end of the Angelus to greet the small gathering in St. Peter's Square “in real time.”

These changes correspond to Italian government restrictions on large public gatherings to limit transmission of coronavirus.

The normal services of the health and hygiene sector of the Vatican city-state were “temporarily suspended” following yesterday’s positive test for Covid-19 on one patient in order “to sanitize the areas.”

In a small indication of how rapidly the contagion is affecting Italy, by the time the Vatican spokesman sent his communique to the media, the number of victims had risen dramatically—the total number of cases rising to 3,858 and deaths to 148.

It was the pope’s first public appearance in four days.

For the second day in a row, Pope Francis, who is suffering from a cold, suspended his public audiences scheduled for today, Feb. 28.

The pope’s spokesman said “his other meetings proceed regularly.” His words were intended to downplay the concern that his condition might be in any way serious.