Pope Francis prays for the ‘many mothers and sisters’ subjected to domestic violence

Pope Francis today prayed for the growing number of women subjected to domestic abuse while living under coronavirus lockdown.

The Argentine pontiff live-streamed an Easter Monday prayer from his private library as the Vatican and Italy entered a second month of restrictions on most outdoor activities.

Worries about domestic abuse have spread across the world as nations force billions to stay at home to stop the spread of a disease that has officially killed nearly 115,000 people.

The pope, 83, offered a prayer to the ‘many mothers and sisters who find themselves locked in the house with the whole family, with children, with the elderly and the disabled’.

Pope Francis prayed has for the growing number of women subjected to domestic abuse while living under coronavirus lockdown

The Argentine pontiff live-streamed an Easter Monday prayer from his private library as the Vatican and Italy entered a second month of restrictions on most outdoor activities

Francis said: ‘Sometimes they are at risk of being subjected to violence, for a coexistence in which they carry too great a burden.’

‘We pray for them, that God may give them strength and that our communities can support them together with their families.’

Countries from Australia to France have seen surges in the number of domestic violence cases reported to the police.

But worries persist that many abuses go unreported and that the true scale of the violence is unknown.

Italy’s interior ministry is using a phone app to help geo-locate reports of domestic of violence.

The government has also allocated 30million euros to help shelter women victims of domestic abuse.

Francis’ sermon today followed yesterday’s unprecedented Easter Sunday mass which was delivered via live stream inside a nearly-deserted St Peter’s Basilica.

Pope Francis preparing to deliver his blessing from the window of the Apostolic palace after deliver his message during a private Angelus prayer live broadcast from the palace’s library

Francis said: ‘Sometimes they are at risk of being subjected to violence, for a coexistence in which they carry too great a burden’

The pontiff broke with centuries of tradition and delivered his service to empty pews with a live feed broadcasting it to the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics. 

The Pope called global solidarity in fighting the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout, urging the relaxation of international sanctions, debt relief for poor nations and ceasefires in all conflicts.

He also warned the European Union that it risked collapse if it did not agree on how to help the region recover. 

‘In these weeks, the lives of millions of people have suddenly changed,’ he said.

The pope said now was the time for politicians and governments to avoid ‘self-centredness’ and take decisive, concerted action to help each others’ populations live through the crisis and eventually resume normal life.

‘May international sanctions be relaxed, since these make it difficult for countries on which they have been imposed to provide adequate support to their citizens,’ Francis said yesterday.

St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican is empty due to anti-coronavirus lockdown measures

Pope Francis yesterday delivered his traditional Easter Sunday mass via live stream inside a nearly-deserted St Peter’s Basilica