Baton Rouge, La., Mar 24, 2020 / 06:40 am
The Catholic governor of Louisiana has asked fellow citizens to pray and fast on March 24 for those affected by the coronavirus. Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) announced on Monday evening that he and the state's First Lady will fast on Tuesday, in the middle of both the season of Lent and a global pandemic.
"In this Lenten season where we focus on fasting and prayer, I wanted to let the people of Louisiana know that I will be fasting tomorrow, Tuesday, March 24," Edwards tweeted.
The governor asked others to pray and fast with him "for comfort to those that have lost a loved one to COVID-19, the complete recovery of those that have tested positive, and that God will, as He has done before, heal His people and our land."
Edwards, a Catholic, was re-elected in November to his second term as Louisiana's governor. In 2019, he signed a ban on abortions once a baby's heartbeat can be detected in utero, usually around six to eight weeks.