Europe’s Priests and Religious Targets of Virus

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While Italy is scrambling to take care of the tsunami of Chinese virus cases mounting daily, older priests and religious are increasingly becoming sick from the virus that's sweeping across the world.

Last week, 40 sisters at the Institute of Daughters of St. Camillo just outside Rome tested positive for the virus.

At another order in Rome, the Congregation of Angelic Sisters of Saint Paul, 19 of the 21 sisters are battling the virus, although the amount of sisters requiring hospitalization is currently low.

In Bergamo in northern Italy, 10 priests have died, but over the last month nearly 60 Italian priests have died — most of them in Northern Italy and many of them over 70 years old.

Priests in other countries are also suffering with the virus.

At St. Peter's Seminary in Wigratzbad, Germany, priests and seminarians for the Fraternity of Saint Peter are also suffering from the Chinese virus but they are hopeful saying, "The virus did its work in the seminary and now most of the priests and half of the seminarians are sick. But all are abandoned to the providence of God. With the mighty help of faith, hope and charity, we are not let down."

While many Catholics are hunkering down and practicing social distancing, some priests are still being heroic, saving bodies and souls.

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