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Rome (dpa) - To protect against the spread of the coronavirus, Pope Francis wants to donate the blessing "Urbi et orbi" on Christmas Day in the Benediction Hall in the Apostolic Palace.
The Pope's blessing is not scheduled for Easter in St. Peter's Basilica, as it was called from the Vatican.
It starts at noon on Friday.
The Pope then also wants to spread his Christmas message.
On Thursday, the pontiff had already celebrated the traditional Christmas mass under Corona conditions.
At the mass on the occasion of the birth of Jesus Christ, the head of the Catholic Church remembered charity.
"Insatiable, we want more and so we rush to the many feeding places of vanity and forget the Bethlehem manger."
Only a little over 100 believers were able to attend the ceremony.
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In the year of the corona pandemic, Francis already had to restrict some fairs and celebrations.
In particular, events that were otherwise attended by many believers were often held with a limited number of participants.
With the blessing «Urbi et orbi» (For the city and the world), the Pope exempts the believers from penalties for their sins, if they have already extinguished them in confession or through prayers, for example.
It is usually donated at Easter and Christmas and when a new Pope has been elected.
“Urbi et orbi” is aimed at the city of Rome, of which the Pope is bishop, and the globe, that is to say the world.
As early as March, the Pope called on all Christians to pray together for an end to the corona pandemic and announced the special blessing “Urbi et Orbi” as a major exception.
It was the first time that Francis combined this blessing with a special prayer.
It is actually only spoken at Christmas, Easter and after a papal election.
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Francis had already emphasized in advance that the pandemic was also an opportunity to bring the meaning of Christmas back to the fore and not consumption.
This makes Christmas more authentic.
One should also think of the lonely and the sick on the holidays.
One phone call, for example, is enough.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201225-99-808941 / 3