Pope Francis Warns of the ‘Virus of Selfish Indifference’

Celebrating Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope Francis said the coronavirus pandemic presents an opportunity to adopt an all-embracing vision of the world, as abandoning global solidarity would result in an even worse “virus of selfish indifference”.

As Europe prepares for economic recovery after the lockdowns, many worry that certain sectors of society could be excluded from recovery or support. Pope Francis said the recovery could not leave anyone behind, saying the attitude of selfish indifference “ends up selecting one person over another, discarding the poor, and sacrificing those left behind on the altar of progress.” The present pandemic, he says, reminds us that there are no differences among those who suffer, as “We are all frail, all equal, all precious.”

The Pope traveled outside the Vatican for the first time in several weeks to celebrate Sunday mass at a nearby Rome’s Santo Spirito church, with just a few priests present and no public participation due to the strict lockdown in Italy, that has been in place for six weeks now.  

Quoting a line from the diary of Saint Faustina, the Pope said: “In a soul that is suffering we should see Jesus on the cross, not a parasite and a burden.” God, he said, gives each person “the chance to practice deeds of mercy, and we practice making judgements.”

Stressing that the Christian's response to a calamity can only be mercy and compassion, the Pope concluded: “To everyone: let us not think only of our interests, our vested interests. Let us welcome this time of trial as an opportunity to prepare for our collective future. Because without an all-embracing vision, there will be no future for anyone.”

Italy has hitherto registered 178,972 cases of the coronavirus infection, with 23,660 deaths and 47,055 recoveries.

By Elene Dzebisashvili