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Ωτ. REUTERS / Guglielmo Mangiapane
Pope Francis wore a mask for the first time in public today, during his joint prayer with other religious leaders for peace to prevail around the world.
Francisco, 83, attended the service with other Christian leaders, including Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who also appeared in disguise.
The Pope appeared in a white mask during the service in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracelli, Rome. Previously, he wore a mask only in the car that took him to his weekly auditions at the Vatican.
His decision not to wear a mask in general audiences resulted in a lot of criticism, mainly from users of social networks, as there were cases in which he was relatively close to his visitors.
At the same time, in other parts of Rome, Jews were praying in the city’s synagogue, and Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu, and Muslim leaders also prayed for the same hope.
The event took place at a time when the number of new coronavirus cases in Italy has been growing steadily in recent weeks. Italy registered 10,874 new COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours, compared to 9,338 on Monday.
The Pope removed his mask when addressing those present, as other leaders did when they spoke, but he put it back on when he finished his speech.
Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ, REUTERS
