Pope Francis offer prayers for those burying virus contaminated mortals at morning mass

Pope Francis on Saturday paid tribute to those who have worked to bury the dead during the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking during the morning mass held from his Santa Marta residence in the Vatican, Francis appealed for those carrying out "one of the works of mercy...and obviously, it is not something pleasant."

"Let us pray for them because they also risk their lives and can be infected," he said. The pontiff has been conducting all of his events within the Vatican walls as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread around the globe. The Vatican has confirmed there are 12 cases of the new coronavirus among residents or employees of the independent city state.