Holy Father to give an extraordinary blessing ‘Urbi et Orbi’ Friday

In response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, our Holy Father will give an extraordinary blessing “Urbi et Orbi“ (to the city and the world) this FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2020, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time (6:00 p.m. Rome time). All the faithful and other Christians in our local Church and beyond are invited to participate in the special prayer with Pope Francis, which will be broadcast by Mondovision and live-streamed on the Vatican News website at www.vaticannews.va. The Holy Father will grant to all participants in the livestream a Plenary Indulgence before imparting the Urbi et Orbi Blessing.

The Apostolic Nunciature has requested the assistance of our local Church to promote this event through all means, especially social communications. I urge you and your communities to amplify this announcement and to translate the content wherever possible into other languages for our Archdiocese and promote and advance this invitation to all the faithful via your website and social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram).

As an Archdiocese, we are committed to helping our people in whatever ways we can including by live-streaming Masses and other prayers and devotions. To the extent that we can, we want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to grow in faith and receive the consolation of the Word of God and the Church’s prayer.

As Pope Francis has said, “To the pandemic of the virus we want to respond with the universality of prayer, compassion and tenderness. Let us stay united. Let us make those who are alone and tested feel our closeness.”

I pray it will be so.

-Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R. Archbishop of Newark