Melbourne, 12 April, 2020 / 11:00 am (ACI Africa).
In a video message sent to his Italian friends to mark Easter Sunday, Cardinal George Pell recalled the joy of Christ’s Resurrection, and said that despite coronavirus measures He is close to each of us.
“How can I not think with sadness of the many who have died, particularly many priests. But what joy we must find in our faith in the Risen Lord that, in Him, one day, please God, we will see them all again,” he said in his April 12 message.
“And for those of us who go on living, let us draw new strength and comfort from the Risen Lord. How close He is to all those who suffer, to those sick and in pain, to those falsely accused, and particularly to those who are alone. Lean on Him. Draw close to Him. For the Lord, there is no such thing as social distancing. He is looking for you.”
Cardinal Pell affirmed to the Italians that “I am close to you–we are close together–through our faith and the magnificent reality we proclaim this day: The Lord is Risen! Alleluia!"
Calling Italy his “adopted country,” he said he thought often of his friends there while imprisoned, “particularly as all of you closed yourselves indoors as a result of this terrible pestilence.”
