The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, His All Holiness Bartholomew I, on Sunday expressed his fraternal support and solidarity to the Italian people, who are being sorely tested by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, in a letter to the Catholic Pope, Francis, as well as the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella.
His All Holiness praises the spirit of self-sacrifice shown by healthcare professionals, thanking them for their extraordinary and grueling efforts to care for the ill. At the same time, the Ecumenical Patriarch extends his condolences to the families of those that lost the battle with the deadly virus.
His All Holiness Bartholomew emphasizes, in his letter, that during this period, amid the Holy and Great Lent, the prayers of the Ecumenical Patriarchate will not cease towards God and the Lord Savior Jesus for a cure of those afflicted, the eternal peace of those lost, and for consolation for their loved loves.