Pope Francis who the celebrant of an organised live streams Palm Sunday Mass has appealed for courage in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic that has infected over 1.2 million people and has claimed more than 65,000 lives across the globe in just three months.
Pope Francis, who himself has been tested twice for the new coronavirus, delivered Palm Sunday mass by Livestream with Saint Peter's Square empty of the usual huge crowds. "Today, in the tragedy of a pandemic, in the face of the many false securities that have now crumbled, in the face of so many hopes betrayed, in the sense of abandonment that weighs upon our hearts, Jesus says to each one of us: 'Courage, open your heart to my love'," he said.
Furthermore, the 83-year-old pontiff called on all faithful to overcome their fears and remember that they are not alone. “When we have our back to the wall, when we find ourselves at a dead-end, with no light and no way of escape, when it seems that God himself is not responding, we should remember that we are not alone.”
Palm Sunday which is the penultimate Sunday before Easter marks the triumphant entry of Jesus into the temple and its celebrated by the use of Palm fonts.