Cardinal Pell was formerly Pope Francis’ finance minister and at one time the third-highest ranking cleric in the Vatican.

At his morning Mass, Pope Francis prayed especially for the safety and the work of journalists all over the world during this time of pandemic.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the Vatican has postponed the beatifications that were scheduled for May and June, one of which included that of the late Polish Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski, mentor and friend of Pope Saint John Paul II.

The bishops said they find these actions unacceptable and called on Catholics, fellow Christians and all people of goodwill to help them combat such acts of racism and xenophobia.

"It's an act of offering, knowing that God is there, taking charge of all of us. Our faith is not an idea. It's not just an ideology. There is nothing magical. It's a relationship with a person," he said.

Francis said he had been struck by the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on migrant farm workers, who even before the pandemic lived hand-to-mouth with intermittent jobs that pay around 25 euro ($27) a day.