The Pope sent his prayers to victims of the virus and the medical personnel treating them
Pope Francis kisses a child in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican before leaving after his weekly general audience, on Feb. 26, 2020. — Pope Francis celebrated the Ash Wednesday ritual kicking off the Catholic Church’s Lenten season in traditional fashion, while other Masses in northern Italy were canceled over fears of the new coronavirus.
Other Catholic countries took precautions. In the Philippines — Asia’s only majority Roman Catholic country — priests sprinkled ashes on the heads of the faithful rather than making the mark of the cross on their foreheads. At the Vatican, Francis held his general audience as usual in St. Peter’s Square and sent his prayers to victims of the virus and the medical personnel treating them. A handful of the thousands of people gathered wore face masks to protect against the virus, which originated in China and has infected thousands globally including more than 300 people in Italy.
“I want to again express my closeness to those suffering from the coronavirus and the health care workers who are treating them, as well as the civil authorities and all those who are working to help patients and stop the contagion,” Francis said.
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