All Italy invited to pray this evening

Source: Vatican News/Fides

The Italian Bishops' Conference (CEI) is promoting a time of prayer for the whole country, inviting every family, individual and religious community to pray the Rosary, the Mysteries of Light, symbolically united, at home at 9pm this evening - Thursday 19 March, feast of St Joseph, custodian of the Holy Family.

The Chaldean Catholic Church, with Cardinal Louis Raphaël I Sako, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, will spiritually join the initiative of the Italian Church. Many other Bishops' Conferences around the world, starting with the Eastern European Churches, have also expressed their solidarity and will also be joining.

Those taking part have been asked to place a small white cloth or a lit candle in their windows, as a symbol of hope and the light of faith. Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, President of the Italian Bishop Conference said: "From our homes the supplication of his children is raised to the Father, so that the Lord, good and merciful, may give the strength of his Spirit to doctors and health workers, enlighten researchers, guide rulers, instil vigour in the bodies of the elderly and children, remove fear, give everyone, especially the sick, the consolation of his Son Jesus."

More than 2,500 people have died from Coronavirus in Italy. Seven priests were among those who died in the Diocese of Bergamo last week. The Bishop of Bergamo, Mgr Francesco Beschi said: "We are living this pain by sharing it with that of our communities together with the number of infected people, the sick and a high number of deaths. We are not separated from our community even in the passage of death."

Among the dead in Bergamo are the Rev Giancarlo Nava, 70, who previously served as a missionary in Paraguay, and Fr Silano Sirtoli, 59.

Among the priests of other dioceses who also died this past week, was Mgr Vincenzo Rini, a writer and editor of the diocesan newspaper of Cremona, for the past 30 years.

One member of the Little Missionary Sisters of Charity died on 15 March at the age of 88 after she and 23 members of her community in Tortona, near Milan, were evacuated by helicopter on 13 March and hospitalized for fever and difficulty breathing. Another unidentified nun was said to be in critical condition, ANSA, the Italian news agency, reported on 15 March.

Bishop Beschi said that 20 more priests from the diocese of Cremona were in hospital with the virus, but had improved considerably. Some more priests had already left hospital.

The bishop of Cremona, Mgr Antonio Napolioni, was hospitalized for 10 days with severe respiratory symptoms related to the virus, but recovered and returned home on Monday.