Rome, Italy, Aug 24, 2020 / 10:24 am
Pope Francis called an Italian cardinal heading to Lourdes on pilgrimage Monday to ask for his prayers at the shrine for himself and "for some situations to be resolved."
According to the vicar general of Rome, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, Pope Francis called him early in the morning Aug. 24 before De Donatis left on a flight for a pilgrimage to Lourdes.
"He told me to bless you all and to pray for him. He insistently asked for prayers for some situations to be resolved and said to entrust him to Our Lady," the cardinal told journalists and others aboard the flight from Rome Aug. 24.
De Donatis is leading the diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes after recovering from the coronavirus this spring. The 185 pilgrims include 40 priests and four bishops, as well as several healthcare workers who helped treat De Donatis when he was sick with the virus.