Francis celebrated the centenary Mass at the altar on the tomb of St. John Paul II. And for the first time since the national lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, he celebrated in the presence of over 100 people.

Pope Francis asked the group to ‘prepare the future’ not ‘prepare for the future.’

The pope also called on people “to embrace all those who are experiencing situations of precariousness, abandonment, marginalization and rejection as a result of Covid-19.”

The Holy See, the central government of the Catholic Church, is in crisis mode as it struggles to find ways to balance its budget in these turbulent times.

Pope Francis also called on world leaders “to invest in health care as the primary common good.”

Pope Francis also drew attention to Africa and recalled that 40 years ago, St. John Paul II spoke out about the plight of the people of the Sahel.