ic ▁Let ter , ▁M iser ic ord ia ▁et ▁Mis era , ▁issued ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁to ▁celebr ate ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Ext ra ordinary ▁J ub ile e ▁of ▁Mer cy . ▁ ▁Cor on av irus ▁pan demic ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 ▁coron av irus ▁pan demic , ▁Francis ▁can ce led ▁his ▁regular ▁general ▁aud ien ces ▁at ▁St . ▁Peter ' s ▁Square ▁to ▁prevent ▁crow ds ▁from ▁gather ing ▁and ▁spread ing ▁the ▁virus , ▁which ▁seriously ▁affected ▁Italy . ▁He ▁encourag ed ▁pri ests ▁to ▁visit ▁patients ▁and ▁health ▁workers ; ▁ur ged ▁the ▁faithful ▁not ▁to ▁forget ▁the ▁poor ▁during ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁crisis ; ▁offered ▁pray ers ▁for ▁vict ims ▁of ▁the ▁virus ▁in ▁China ; ▁and ▁invoked ▁the ▁B less ed ▁Virgin ▁Mary ▁under ▁her ▁title ▁Sal us ▁Pop uli ▁Roman i , ▁as ▁the ▁Dioc ese ▁of ▁Rome ▁observed ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁prayer ▁and ▁fast ing ▁in ▁recognition ▁of ▁the ▁vict ims . ▁The ▁pont iff ▁react ed ▁with ▁dis ple asure ▁on ▁ 1 3 ▁March ▁ 2 0 2 0 , ▁at ▁the ▁news ▁that ▁the ▁Vic ar ▁General ▁had ▁closed ▁all ▁churches ▁in ▁the ▁Dioc ese ▁of ▁Rome . ▁Despite ▁Italy ▁being ▁under ▁a ▁quar antine ▁lock down , ▁Francis ▁ple aded ▁" not ▁to ▁leave ▁the ▁... ▁people ▁alone " ▁and ▁worked ▁to ▁partially ▁reverse ▁the ▁clos ures . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2