5 years ago, Pope Francis prayed in St. Peter’s Square for an end to the pandemic
There were many harrowing images during the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic that shut down most of the globe and in time resulted in millions of deaths. One of the most remarkable moments, however, was suffused with hope.
Five years ago, on March 27, 2020, Pope Francis appeared in St. Peter’s Square and prayed for the pandemic to end.
It was a dramatic gesture and an unforgettable sight, televised and livestreamed across the world, as the solitary figure of the pope, dressed in white, stood in the grey expanse of the plaza in front of St. Peter’s Basilica.
He delivered an ‘Urbi et Orbi’ blessing, also known as an Apostolic Blessing, and prayed silently before a crucifix and an icon of the Virgin Mary. There followed a moment of Eucharistic adoration. Pope Francis then raised the Blessed Sacrament and gave a benediction as the basilica’s bells rang out.
“Have you no faith?”
In addition to praying, the Pope addressed the world, offering consolation, hope, and a sense of perspective.
“For weeks now it has been evening,” the Pope said. “Thick darkness has gathered over our squares, our streets and our cities; it has taken over our lives, filling everything with a deafening silence and a distressing void, that stops everything as it passes by; we feel it in the air, we notice in people’s gestures, their glances give them away. We find ourselves afraid and lost.”
He compared the situation to the moment in the Gospel when Jesus’s disciples are in a boat with him when a storm breaks out. Jesus was sleeping in the boat, and when he awoke and found Peter and the others panicking, his reaction was unexpected:
“In spite of the tempest, he sleeps on soundly, trusting in the Father; this is the only time in the Gospels we see Jesus sleeping. When he wakes up, after calming the wind and the waters, he turns to the disciples in a reproaching voice: ‘Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?’ (Mk 35:40)”
In the same boat
According to the Pope, the moment showed how we are all prone to let fear predominate in our lives. Instead of depending on God, we rely on our own “prepackaged ideas” and fall into “forgetfulness.” Yet the pandemic was also an occasion to recognize that “we are all in the same boat.”
Pope Francis concluded:
“You ask us not to be afraid. Yet our faith is weak and we are fearful. But you, Lord, will not leave us at the mercy of the storm. Tell us again: ‘Do not be afraid’ (Mt 28:5). And we, together with Peter, ‘cast all our anxieties onto you, for you care about us’ (cf. 1 Pet 5:7).”
That moment in St. Peter’s Square was a ray of light in one of the darkest moments in recent history. Pope Francis’ words and actions continue to resonate five years later, as the world suffers from war and global instability, and the Holy Father himself recovers from a life-threatening illness.
Featured image: Pope Francis holds the monstrance as he delivers his extraordinary blessing “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) during a prayer service in the portico of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican March 27, 2020. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
