Rome (CNN) — Pope Francis has condemned people who traveled abroad for a vacation and avoid Covid-19 lockdowns.
The pontiff said Sunday he was “saddened” by news reports claiming that people were flying abroad to have fun amid the pandemic.
“They are good people, but they didn’t think about those who were staying at home, of the economic problems of many people who have been hit hard by the lockdown, of the sick people,” Pope Francis said Sunday.
“[They thought] only about going on holiday and having fun. This pained me a lot,” the Pope said at the end of his Sunday Angelus prayer.
Pope Francis held his Sunday prayers from the Apostolic Palace library, rather than from the usual window overlooking St. Peter’s Square where crowds would usually gather, in order to limit the spread of the virus.
Renewing his best wishes for the New Year, Pope Francis said: “What each of us — and all of us together — can do is commit ourselves a little more to take care of each other … ”
Click source below to read more.
EARLIER:
Rome (CNN) Pope Francis will not lead the Vatican’s New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day celebrations due to sciatic pain, the Vatican said in a statement on Thursday.
This marks the first time the Pope has missed New Year’s Eve or Christmas celebrations, but not the first event he has skipped.
On February 27, Pope Francis, who is 84, canceled a scheduled mass for what the Vatican press office described as a “slight imposition,” denying rumors that the Pontiff could have contracted Covid-19.
He was later seen coughing, sneezing and speaking with a hoarse voice.
Pope Francis first revealed he had sciatica (herniation of spinal disk) during an inflight press conference while on a visit to Brazil in 2013.
“The worst thing that happened — excuse me — was an attack of sciatica — really! — that I had the first month, because I was sitting in an armchair to do interviews and it hurt,” Francis said at the time … Read more.
