Pope Francis also drew attention to Africa and recalled that 40 years ago, St. John Paul II spoke out about the plight of the people of the Sahel.

“I am a friar and I remain a friar,” the Rev. Marco Tasca told his fellow Franciscans.

Italian Catholics will be able to attend Mass in public beginning on May 18, provided certain norms are respected.

“Pope Francis gives enormous importance to the plight of the millions of forgotten men, women and children forced to migrate within their own countries and known internationally as ‘internally displaced people.’”

The appeal calls on believers in God worldwide to hold “a day for fasting, prayers, and supplications” on May 14.

America reported on Oct. 2 that the Vatican suspended five employees from their duties “as a precautionary measure.” Now an Italian daily is reporting they have been fired.

The pope also appointed Archbishop Ilson de Jesus Montanari (Brazil) as vice camerlengo, or chamberlain.

The Cover-19 crisis has demonstrated how important it is “to give power to the supra-national institutions,” he said, suggesting that E.U. member states “take a step back in favor of the multilateral institutions and in particular the [European] Commission and the Central European Bank.”

Fra’ Giacomo led the 1,000-year-old sovereign order following an institutional crisis that caused deep internal fractures and a confrontation with the Holy See.

The pope again expressed his deep, personal concern for the homeless and other poor people and reaffirmed his spiritual “closeness” to them.