Pope Francis delivered an extraordinary blessing “To the City and to the World” on Friday afternoon to pray for an end to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. In order to offer intercession and consolation during this sorrowful time, the Holy Father presided over a time of prayer and Eucharistic Adoration in Saint Peter’s Square, without a congregation of the lay faithful on Friday 27 March 2020 at 5pm, London time.
This Statio orbis was broadcast on mondovision and streamed by Vatican News.
During this time of prayer Pope Francis imparted the Urbi et Orbi Blessing and offered a Plenary Indulgence to everyone who participated in the prayers via the communications media. He also preached a homily reflecting on Jesus’ words to His disciples: “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?”
Journalist Christopher Lamb tweeted these snippets of what he said:
“It is not the time of God’s judgment “but of our judgment” “A time to choose what matters and what passes away, a time to separate what is necessary from what is not. It is a time to get our lives back on track.”
“We have gone ahead at breakneck speed, feeling powerful and able to do anything. Greedy for profit, we let ourselves get caught up in things, and lured away by haste.”
“We did not stop at your reproach to us, we were not shaken awake by wars or injustice across the world, nor did we listen to the cry of the poor or of our ailing planet.”
“We carried on regardless, thinking we would stay healthy in a world that was sick. Now that we are in a stormy sea, we implore you: ‘Wake up, Lord!’”
If you missed the broadcast or would like to read more about what Pope Francis said, Vatican News has more here:
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-03/pope-francis-urbi-et-orbi-blessing-coronavirus.html
And the Catholic Herald has the full homily here:
Pictures courtesy of Catholic Church and Vatican News