While Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church has mostly been restricted to the walled confines of the Vatican since the national lockdown in Italy was imposed on March 9, he decided to step out, to pray.

He left the Vatican on the Sabbath and went to Rome, where he prayed at Basilica of Saint Mary Major and the church of San Marcello al Corso Sunday, reported Newsweek.

When asked by La Repubblica journalist Paolo Rodari what he prayed for at the two churches, the pontiff replied: "I asked the Lord to stop the epidemic: Lord, stop it with your hand. That's what I prayed for."

The Pope also echoed what WHO has been asking everyone to do to flatten the curve: Social distancing. "Sometimes, we only experience a virtual form of communication with one another. Instead, we should discover a new closeness. More concrete relationships made of attention and patience," he said.