Pope Francis asked people to pray for government officials and leaders who are tasked with making critical decisions and taking drastic measures that may make people unhappy.

Under your protection, we seek refuge, Holy Mother of God.

Bishop J. Mark Spalding has visited the affected pastors and churches in Nashville and offered prayers of support for all those suffering from the trauma of the disaster.

Fingerprinting is now required of the bishop; all priests and deacons; all seminarians; all Catholic school principals, teachers, staff and certain volunteers; as well as chancery staff.

On “Inside the Vatican” this week, America’s Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell details what it’s like living in Rome under the lockdown and how the Holy See and the pope are handling the crisis.

The accelerated reduction in the size of the Catholic flock in Argentina confirmed an overall Latin American trend: Between 2008 and 2019, the proportion of Catholics in Argentina dropped from 77 percent to 63 percent.