The deadly march of the virus has left about half the planet confined to their homes, drastically altering life for billions of people and plunging the global economy into deep recession.
With more than 1.2mn people confirmed to be infected, the virus is also putting massive pressure on healthcare services in nations both rich and poor which are struggling to find enough staff and equipment.
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.
Francis led the Palm Sunday Mass accompanied only by a few priests.
A choir was also present, as well as some nuns and lay people who read from the scriptures.
Last year the Mass was celebrated in Saint Peter’s Square, and by the Vatican’s own reckoning, there were between 40,000 and 50,000 people in attendance.
The Pope urged people to “reach out to those who are suffering and those most in need. Let us not think about what we are missing, let us think about what good we can do for others”.
For the service, a cross venerated for helping bring an end to a 16th-century plague in Rome and an icon of the Virgin Mary offering protection to the Roman people were placed near the main altar.
The St Marcellus crucifix and the Salus Populi Romani icon featured in another ceremony on March 27, when the Pope led special prayers for an end to the pandemic in an empty Saint Peter’s Square.
Masses with no congregations were celebrated in churches throughout Italy.
In Milan’s landmark cathedral, the Duomo, the service was attended by Mayor Beppe Sala and regional President Attilio Fontana.
Easter is the most important Christian holiday, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Several events lead up to it, during a period known as Holy Week.
Palm Sunday recalls how, according to the Bible, Jesus was feted by crowds waving palm branches as he entered Jerusalem, just days before they turned against him and called for his crucifixion.
Due to the pandemic, Easter celebrations at the Vatican have been slimmed down and closed to the public.
Traditional events like the Good Friday procession by Rome’s Colosseum have been cancelled.
“We will celebrate Holy Week in a truly unusual way,” Francis said on Friday.
There has been some concern about the Pope’s health, as he is 83 and had part of a lung removed in his 20s, making him especially vulnerable to the Covid-19 disease linked to the novel coronavirus.
