Pope Francis on Sunday strongly criticized people who traveled abroad to escape the closures of the coronavirus, saying it showed a lack of awareness and compassion.
The pope spoke during his weekly blessing, usually from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square. The blessing was moved indoors to discourage large crowds during the pandemic.
ROME, ITALY – OCTOBER 20: Pope Francis delivers his speech at an international prayer meeting for peace “No one is saved alone – peace and brotherhood” in the Roman Basilica of Aracoeli on October 20, 2020 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Vatican Pool / Getty Images)
The pope stressed the selfishness of what he read in the news, saying it made him ‘sad’.
“They did not think about those who stayed at home, about the economic problems of many people who were hard hit by the lockdown, about the sick,” Pope Francis told Reuters.
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‘(They thought) just about having a holiday and having fun.
“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,” the pope added. “There is the temptation to just look after our own interests.”
The Pope spoke on similar themes on New Year’s Day during the traditional Angelus Blessing and fought through nerve pain to deliver the speech.
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During this year’s speech, he called for peace and said that ‘the pandemic has taught us how much it takes to be interested in others’ problems and share their concerns.’