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.

This week on the “Inside the Vatican” podcast, the hosts look back at the response to St. John Paul II’s call for debt forgiveness in 2000.

On Easter Monday, Pope Francis offered solidarity and prayers to the people of the United States and other countries hard hit by Covid-19.

“This may be the time,” he said, “to consider a universal basic wage.” This points to what is usually known as universal basic income—a regular, substantial cash payment to people just for being alive.

Pope Francis said in an Easter Sunday message that the coronavirus epidemic could also be an opportunity for affluent societies to re-evaluate patterns of consumption and exploitation.

In his Easter "Urbi et Orbi" address, Pope Francis appealed for a global ceasefire, as well as for the relaxing of sanctions and the reduction or forgiveness of the debt of poor countries. He urged an all-out effort to care for those who lack the basic necessities of life, including refugees and migrants.