Pope Francis urges international community to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to 'poorest countries' in Easter address

Pope Francis.
(Image credit: FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

After presiding over an Easter Mass attended by fewer than 200 people in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City because of coronavirus restrictions on Sunday, Pope Francis delivered his latest "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) address.

In the message, Francis said, "I urge the entire international community, in a spirit of global responsibility, to commit to overcoming delays in the distribution of [COVID-19] vaccines and to facilitate their distribution, especially in the poorest countries." He also called for more public assistance for those struggling financially during the pandemic, and lamented the fact that many people, especially youths, have missed out on "experiencing real human relationships" over the last year.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.