Russia: Mgr. Pezzi (Moscow) celebrates Mass again after self-isolation. Fr. Gorbunov to SIR, “several priests and nuns tested positive”. Churches remain open

After testing positive for COVID-19 and three weeks of self-isolation, Archbishop Paolo Pezzi of Moscow has now resumed his activities. The news was confirmed to SIR news agency by Diocesan Vicar Father Kirill Gorbunov, and is also corroborated by the “Archbishop’s programme for November” on the website of the Archdiocese. Mgr. Pezzi resumed his public service with a Mass celebrated on the Feast of Saint Charles Borromeo, Patron Saint of the priestly fraternity in which Paolo Pezzi was ordained a priest. “I am very happy to be able to celebrate again with you and for you”, the Archbishop said in his homily, which was then posted on the website. “At a time marked by tragic events – the pandemic, the Nagorno-Karabakh war, tensions in Belarus, the terrorist attacks that seem to be spreading everywhere in the world –, we have to keep our eyes fixed on the “signs of beauty” to see that Christ wins. These signs “are among us. We just need to notice them. It is only by letting ourselves be amazed by these signs, the signs of Christ’s presence among us, that we can overcome feelings of discouragement, fear, and uncertainty about the future. The COVID-19 continues to infect, Fr. Gorbunov went on to say, and “there are at present several priests and nuns in Moscow who have tested positive for COVID-19 and must remain under quarantine, but churches are open”. According to official data in Russia, there have been 1,733,440 COVID-19 cases and 29,887 deaths; in the last 24 hours, the country has reported a record high of 20,582 new cases and 378 deaths.
Sarah Numico