VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis urged people to “not yield to fear” and focused on a “message of hope” as he led an Easter eve Mass in an empty St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic and called for an end to wars.
Pope Francis leads the Easter vigil Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica without any public involvement due to the break out of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Vatican, April 11,2020 REUTERS/Remo Casilli/Pool
The vigil, which usually happens in a church loaded with about 10,000 individuals, was participated in by only about 2 dozen, including a few altar servers and a smaller-than-usual choir. Since of the coronavirus outbreak, it was scaled back to remove numerous conventional features, such as the baptism of adult converts and a long procession up the primary ai