Vatican City, Apr 14, 2020 / 17:19 pm
Pope Francis phoned Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York Tuesday to express his concern for the people of New York during the coronavirus pandemic. More than 10,000 deaths in the city are being attributed to infection by the virus.
Cardinal Dolan said April 14 that Pope Francis had called him that afternoon "to express his love, concern, and closeness to all the people of New York, especially those who are sick, during the coronavirus outbreak."
"He mentioned in a special way Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio and the people of the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens, and I happily shared the Holy Father's words with Bishop DiMarzio immediately thereafter," the cardinal added.
Two priests of the Diocese of Brooklyn, Fathers Jorge Ortiz-Garay and Gioacchino Basile, have died due to coronavirus, on March 27 and April 4, respectively. The Brooklyn diocese covers the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens.