The pope prayed for prisoners and their families who are unable to visit because of the Italian government's strict social-distancing measures.

“As long as they remain in their territories, they can be somewhat safe. But their reservations must be closed to non-indigenous persons.”

The United States has a “can do” culture, writes Kevin W. Wildes, S.J., but the pandemic is forcing us to accept that we need clear ethical guidelines about how to allocate scarce medical resources.

The decision to close N.A.C. was taken after the Italian prime minister over the weekend imposed new restrictions on the production of goods and the movement of employees.

The Pope Francis Center, located next door to SS. Peter and Paul Parish, moved its operation entirely outdoors, setting up tents and stations serving hot coffee, juice and milk, in addition to hot meals.

In just the first hour of a scheduled six-hour distribution effort at the school, 64 cars came through to get school supplies, laptops and food.