Writing to priests in Rome and across the world, Pope Francis offered encouragement but warned against the ‘temptation’ to ignore the wounds of the pandemic. America correspondent Gerry O’Connell reports from the Vatican.

The pope also announced plans to canonize Charles de Foucauld, César de Bus and Maria Domenica Mantovani.

“One thing is certain,” Pope Francis writes. “Unity is not chiefly the result of our activity, but a gift of the Holy Spirit. Yet, unity will not come about as a miracle at the very end. Rather, unity comes about in journeying.”

Francis called for reflection on the encyclical in which he “sought to draw attention to the cry of the earth and of the poor.”

Father Nicolás “was not the kind of leader who says, ‘I am the one who knows everything.’ He really trusted in people, and he listened.”

The church’s mission “is the work of the Holy Spirit and not the consequence of our ideas and projects,” the pope said.

“The Holy See is following the situation closely and expresses concern about any future actions that could further compromise dialogue.”

Francis celebrated the centenary Mass at the altar on the tomb of St. John Paul II. And for the first time since the national lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, he celebrated in the presence of over 100 people.

Pope Francis asked the group to ‘prepare the future’ not ‘prepare for the future.’

The pope also called on people “to embrace all those who are experiencing situations of precariousness, abandonment, marginalization and rejection as a result of Covid-19.”