Pope Francis prays for funeral homes workers

Pope Francis prayed for those who work in funeral homes during his mass in Santa Marta chapel on Saturday morning.

Speaking to an audience of a few priests and nuns at his morning mass in his residence at the Vatican, the pope said: "Today let's pray together for the people who work in funeral homes. What they do is so heavy and so sad. They really feel the pain of this pandemic so close."

Funeral homes, especially in northern Italy, have been overwhelmed by the unprecedented number of deaths related to the pandemic.

The pope has been conducting all events within the Vatican walls, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread rapidly around the globe with more than 2.7 million people infected and over 190,000 deaths.

The Vatican has confirmed there are 10 cases of COVID-19 among residents or employees of the tiny independent city state.