Bishop Giovanni Nerbini of Prato, Italy made six doctors extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist so that coronavirus patients could receive Communion on Easter, offering a new way to provide spiritual care and comfort.
Junno Arocho Esteves - Catholic News Service
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Pope prays for elderly fearful of dying alone
Praying that “the Lord may be close to them in this moment,” Pope Francis publicly offered prayers for the elderly afraid of the coronavirus and of dying alone.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Father Cantalamessa: Coronavirus rouses world from delusion of omnipotence
The preacher of the papal household said on April 10, Good Friday, that “Christ’s cross changed the meaning of pain and human suffering, in that both are no longer viewed as divine punishment or a curse.”
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Pope Francis, prison guards provide meditations on the aftermath of crime
Prison guards, probation officers and volunteers also authored some of the meditations, which were released in Italian April 3 by Libreria Editrice Vaticana, the Vatican publishing house.
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Pope Francis thanks those who help, pray for vulnerable during pandemic
The papal almoner’s office announced March 26 that the pope was donating 30 ventilators to “hospitals in the areas most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Forget me not: Prison ministry faces challenges of global pandemic
The pope prayed for prisoners and their families who are unable to visit because of the Italian government’s strict social-distancing measures.
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Pope Francis: ‘Every man for himself’ is not a solution to pandemic
“I don’t like that word because optimism sounds to me like makeup,” something false and superficial, he said. “I have hope in humanity, in men and women, and I have hope in the people.”
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As coronavirus cases increase, Pope Francis prays for prisoners and their families
Dressed in white vestments to commemorate the feast of St. Joseph March 19, the pope expressed his closeness to prisoners “who suffer so much in this moment of uncertainty and pain.”
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Easter at home is an ‘opportunity for faith,’ Vatican official says
Public gatherings, including Masses, have been banned in Italy through April 3, two days before Palm Sunday.
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Pope prays for pastors to find ways to minister amid pandemic
During this time of coronavirus pandemic, Pope Francis is calling for prayers not only for our elected leaders who are dealing with the crisis, but also for religious who are trying to provide spiritual sustenance for their flocks.