In the interview with “La Stampa” newspaper , published on Friday, Pope Francis speaks of the sorrow and pain that “everyone” is experiencing due to the coronavirus.

The only way to survive this situation, he says, is by sticking together. The Pope invites us to live this moment “with penance, compassion and hope”. We need “humility”, he adds, “because too often we forget” there are dark times in life as well. “We think they can only happen to someone else. But these times are dark for everyone”, he says. Pope Francis explains that the season of Lent “trains us to show solidarity with others, especially those who suffer”. 

Prayer

The Pope emphasizes the importance of prayer, recalling how the Apostles turn to Jesus to save them during the storm (Mark 4:35-41). “Prayer helps us understand our vulnerability”, he says. “It is the cry of those who are sinking, who feel they are in danger and alone. And in a difficult, desperate situation, it is important to know that the Lord is there to cling to”. 

All are suffering

Pope Francis makes no distinction between “believers and non-believers”. People are weeping because they are suffering, he says. “Everyone” is suffering. “We are all children before God”, he adds.

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