At the start of the live broadcast of Mass, the pope first prayed that people would use the pandemic-induced time of increased silence in their lives to learn how to listen.

In his homily during morning Mass in the chapel of his residence, Pope Francis warned against "detachment" from the sacraments, the church, and each other, saying that it was "dangerous."

In other circumstances, however, the current crisis is the result of abandonment "from afar" when it comes to not providing enough assistance and therapeutic care for the elderly, the dicastery added.

Pope Saint John Paul II is remembered for his tireless evangelization on the 15th anniversary of his death.

The pandemic does not represent God's wrath, because the disease affects most frequently and tragically the weakest and most vulnerable -- the very people God loves and cares for the most.

With funerals forbidden nationwide, these ministers are also offering blessings and a dignified temporary place of rest before the departed's ultimate burial.

The medical and humanitarian emergency unfolding before their eyes has made it clear that the Western health care system of centralized hospital care cannot handle this and future epidemics and needs to shift toward more community-focused care.

Pope Francis prayed for families who are cooped up in their homes and for all those who are ill with COVID-19.

The Church of All Saints in Bergamo -- located in a cemetery in Italy's hardest-hit Lombardy region -- has had to open its doors to dozens of coffins containing the remains of people who died of COVID-19.

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.