Pope Francis celebrates lonely Easter Vigil in near-empty St Peter’s Basilica
- Only a handful of dignitaries and faithful were in attendance at the Vatican City church due to coronavirus measures
Pope Francis celebrated the Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday night, the lack of pilgrims due to the coronavirus pandemic painfully obvious as he spoke in the enormous St Peter's Basilica.
In a message that was livestreamed from the near-empty basilica, which is closed to the public due to virus restrictions, the pope spoke of Easter bringing hope in our “darkest hour.”
Only a handful of dignitaries and faithful were in attendance at the Vatican City church, which can hold tens of thousands of visitors, for the Mass that marks the first celebration of Jesus' resurrection.
Francis likened the fears and despair of current times to those felt by Jesus' followers after his crucifixion.
“They, like us, had before their eyes the drama of suffering, of an unexpected tragedy that happened all too suddenly,” Francis said.
“For them, as for us, it was the darkest hour.”