Mass held for COVID victims in Peru

The Archbishop of Lima celebrated Mass on Sunday with more than 4,000 portraits of those who have died from the new coronavirus. Photos of victims of COVID-10 were placed in pews and on the walls of the Cathedral of Lima as Carlos Castillo, Cardinal of Lima, celebrated the feast of Corpus Christi in honor of the thousands who died.

The archbishopric's press team on Saturday printed and placed the portraits on the cathedral's 84 benches, but when space was lacking, Castillo ordered thousands more to be placed on the walls.

It was the first time in more than 400 years that a Mass without any parishioners was held, instead hosting photos of victims of a pandemic in the cathedral. The ceremony was broadcast live on state television and the internet. Among the photos at the cathedral were doctors, police officers, firefighters, journalists, grandparents hugging their grandchildren, a woman dancing with her son and even a baby, all victims of COVID-19.

The South American nation has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, confirming 225,132 cases, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. At least 6,498 have died.