VATICAN CITY—Pope Francis held his first audience with members of the public since February, a small first step toward restoring his public profile, which has suffered during months of restrictions to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The public wore face masks, but the pope and his entourage didn’t. “We came to see the papa,” said Sandra Vijayaraman, aged 19, a Catholic from Kerala, India, visiting Rome with her family. He is a blessing.” Daria Nechita, 19, and Emma Coccato, 20, university students from Milan vacationing in Rome, had learned about the audience the day before. Pope Francis told the crowd that “The current pandemic has highlighted our interdependence: We are all linked to each other, for better or for worse.”

Source: Wall Street Journal September 02, 2020 10:12 UTC