Cardinal Gregory prays on TV for 500,000 Americans killed by Covid-19

Thursday, February 25th, 2021

Washington Cardinal Wilton Gregory appeared on CNN offering a prayer for the 500,000 Americans who have died from Covid-19.

In the prayer, Gregory asked God to “grant eternal peace to all our sisters and brothers lost to this disease.”

“Let us now open our hearts to recall those who have died from the coronavirus,” Cardinal Gregory prayed. “Strengthen those families and friends who remain behind, to comfort one another and to wipe the tears from our eyes. May each one find peace and let the memory of our loved ones itself be a blessing.”

The cardinal called it “a great honor and privilege” to offer the prayer at the invitation of Jake Tapper, CNN anchor and chief Washington correspondent, on the program “We Remember 500,000: A National Memorial Service for Covid-19.”

The United States surpassed 500,000 deaths due to the coronavirus on Feb. 22.

More than 28.2 million Americans have been infected by the virus.

On Monday evening, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their families gathered at the White House to mark a moment of silence for those who have died from Covid-19.

Shortly before the ceremony, Mr Biden delivered remarks. He noted the milestone comes during Lent, which he called “a season of reflection and renewal.” He said that many Americans died from Covid while being isolated in hospitals, away from family and loved ones.

“As a nation, we can’t accept such a cruel fate. While we have been fighting this pandemic for so long, we have to resist becoming numb to the sorrow. We have to resist viewing each life as a statistic or a blur or on the news. And we must do so to honor the dead, but equally important, care for the living and those left behind,” Mr Biden said.

Mr Biden urged Americans to continue to take precautions to fight the spread of the coronavirus and to get vaccinated when possible. If those steps are taken, he said, life will return to normal sooner rather than later.

As of Feb. 22, close to 13% of the U.S. population has received the first round of the Covid-19 vaccine. Approximately 6% of Americans had received both shots by that date.