While countries have enforced social distancing measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Pope Francis warned of serious consequences if the same measures aren’t applied to overcrowded prisons.
During the live broadcast of his morning Mass on 6th April, the pope said that unless authorities make efforts to solve the problem of overcrowded prisons, “there is a danger that this pandemic will end in a serious calamity.”
“Let us pray for those responsible, for those who have to make decisions at this time, so that they may find just and creative ways to solve this problem,” he said at the start of the Mass.
In his homily, the pope reflected on the day’s Gospel reading from St John in which Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anoints Jesus’ feet with a costly perfume. Judas Iscariot, the Gospel recounted, detests the use of such a perfume and argued that it would have been better to sell the perfume and give the money to the poor.
“There are always people” like Judas who value wealth under the guise of charity, the pope said.
Picture: Pope Francis celebrates Mass in the chapel of his Vatican residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae, on 6th April 2020. At the start of the Mass, the pope warned that the problem of overcrowded prisons could be “a serious calamity” as the world continues to prevent the spread of coronavirus. He also prayed that authorities “may find just and creative ways to solve this problem.” (CNS photo/Vatican Media).
