Pope Francis gave his new “Urbi et Orbi” address on Sunday after presiding over an Easter Mass attended by less than 200 people in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City due to coronavirus restrictions (to the city and the world).
In the message, Francis said, “I urge the entire international community, in a spirit of global responsibility, to commit to overcoming delays in the distribution of [COVID-19] vaccines and to facilitate their distribution, especially in the poorest countries.”
He also pushed for expanded public assistance for those who were suffering financially during the pandemic, and he bemoaned the fact that many people, especially youths, had missed out on “experiencing real human relationships” over the last year.
Aside from the pandemic, Francis drew attention to crises in Ethiopia and Mozambique, anti-coup unrest in Myanmar, and Syria’s civil war, all of which he called for reconciliation.
