Barack Obama
Reuters Staff
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis condemns people who went on holiday abroad on Sunday to escape the coronavirus, saying they should be more aware of the suffering of others.
Francis said after his weekly afternoon blessing that he read newspaper articles about people fleeing to flee the curbs of government and looking for fun elsewhere.
‘They did not think about those who stayed at home, about the economic problems of many people who were hit hard by the lockdown, or the sick. (They thought about it) to just go on holiday and have fun, ”the pope said.
“It really saddened me,” he said in a video address of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace Library.
The traditional Angelus blessing is usually given from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square, but it has been moved indoors to prevent crowds from gathering and restricting the spread of COVID-19.
“We do not know what 2021 will hold for us, but what we can all do together is a little more effort to take care of each other. There is the temptation to only look after our own interests, ”he added.
According to the latest version of Reuters, many countries have imposed strict restrictions to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which has killed approximately 1.83 million people worldwide.
(The story corrects the global death toll in the last paragraph to 1.83 million.)