Pope walks in a deserted Rome, prays for end of pandemic

Pope Francis, who recently recovered from a cold, suddenly appeared on the streets of Rome on Sunday to visit two churches and pray for an end to the coronavirus pandemic.
During the outbreak of COVID-19 in Italy, the 83-year-old pope travelled to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where he often stops to thank after returning from a trip abroad.
From the basilica, Francis headed to Piazza Venezia, wandering along a small, almost empty, shopping street and ended in the church of San Marcello al Corso, which is usually full of tourists at the usual time.
“With his prayer, the Holy Father has invoked the end of the pandemic that is striking Italy and the world, implored for the healing for the many sick, recalled the many victims of the recent days and asked that their family members and friends find consolation and comfort,” said a representative of the Vatican, Matteo Bruni.
The Pope also prayed for health workers, doctors, nurses, and those who work to maintain a functioning society, while many are under compulsory or voluntary quarantine.
Rome, like the rest of Italy, is currently under strict lockdown and people are forced to stay at home, except in severe cases of necessity. All non-essential enterprises are also closed.
Though public masses have been suspended throughout the country, the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore remains open for individual prayer.
Francis praised the Catholic priests for their “creative approach”, especially in the region of Lombardy, in northern Italy, where thousands of people have been hospitalised or quarantined.
The Pope said their efforts have demonstrated that there are “a thousand ways to be near” with believers in a difficult time.