By Jackie Salo
Pope Francis called for unity from around the world to confront the coronavirus pandemic as he celebrated Easter Mass in solitude Sunday inside an empty St. Peter’s Square.
The 83-year-old pontiff made his traditional Easter address, urging the European Union to step up to the “epochal challenge” caused by the pandemic.
“This is not a time for self-centeredness, because the challenge we are facing is shared by all, without distinguishing between persons,” he said.
He noted that Europe rose again after World War II “thanks to a concrete spirit of solidarity that enabled it to overcome the rivalries of the past.”
He gave prayers for the sick, dead, poor, elderly and refugees, as well as doctors and nurses who have worked “to the point of exhaustion and not infrequently at the expense of their own health.”
