Pope at Mass: Pray together for
healing from all pandemics
Pope Francis celebrates Mass on Thursday for the Day of
Prayer Against the Pandemic, and reminds us that we are all brothers and
sisters, no matter our religious affiliation.
By Devin Watkins
At the start of Mass in the Casa Santa Marta on 14 May, Pope
Francis encouraged people of all faiths to pray, fast, and perform works of
charity for an end to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Today, the Higher Committee for Human Fraternity has
called for a day of prayer and fasting to ask the merciful God for an end to
this tragic moment of the pandemic. We are all brothers and sisters. St Francis
of Assisi used to say: “All brothers and sisters”. And so, men and women of
every religious confession are uniting themselves today in prayer and penance
to ask for the grace of healing from this pandemic.”
Fear in the face of the pandemic
In his homily, Pope Francis reflected on the example of the
prophet Jonah.
“The city of Nineveh was afflicted by some sort of
pandemic – perhaps by a moral pandemic – and was about to be destroyed. God
called Jonah to preach a message of prayer, penance, and fasting.”
He said Jonah was initially overcome by fear and so ran away
from his mission. God called him again, and the prophet went to Nineveh to
preach.
Pope Francis said people of all faiths and traditions are
called to pray and fast together for delivery from the pandemic, as the people
of Nineveh did in response to Jonah’s preaching.
Overcoming selfish safety
None of us expected the coronavirus pandemic, he said. Now
it is upon us, and “many people are dying, many of them alone.”
The Pope warned those who have not been touched by the
pandemic not to rejoice.
“Often the thought can arise: ‘Well, at least I haven’t been
affected. Thank God I’m safe.’ But think about others. Think about the tragedy
and its its consequences on the economy and education. Think about what will
come afterwards.”
He said we unite in prayer today to overcome this selfish
attitude.
Humanity united before the Father
Pope Francis said praying together is in no way “religious
relativism”.
“How can we not pray to the Father of all? Everyone prays
as they know how, as they can, according to what they have received from their
culture. We aren’t praying against each other… We are united in humanity as
brothers and sisters.”
He urged everyone to ask God for forgiveness of our sins, so
that “God might put an end to this pandemic.”
Multiple pandemics
The Pope went on to recall the many other pandemics that
afflict humanity.
Citing official statistics, he noted that over 3.7 million
people died from hunger in the first four months of the year.
“This day of prayer against the pandemic must make us
think also of many other pandemics. The pandemics of war, of hunger.”
Mercy of God
Returning to the Book of Jonah, Pope Francis said the people
of Nineveh listened to the prophet and converted from their evil ways. God saw
their conversion and stopped the pandemic.
“May God put an end to this tragedy – this pandemic – and
have mercy on us. And may He put an end to the other terrible pandemics of
hunger, war, and uneducated children. This we ask as brothers and sisters, all
together. May God bless us all, and have mercy on us.”
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