Pope Francis delivers his blessing from inside the Apostolic library at the Vatican, Sunday, March 15, 2020. Pope Francis has praised people who could risk contagion to help the poor and the homeless even as fears of coronavirus spread prompts ever more countries to restrict ways of everyday life. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some, it can cause more severe illness, especially in older adults and people with existing health p…
March 15, 2020
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Pope goes on Roman walkabout, prays for end to pandemic
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis left the Vatican to make a surprise visit Sunday to two churches in Rome to pray for the end of the coronavirus pandemic — a move that came even as Italian health authorities insisted people stay home as much as possible to limit contagion in the heart of Europe's outbreak.