Reports indicate that Coronavirus has resulted in the deaths of a minimum of 7 Catholic priests in Italy.
Monsignor Vincenzo Rini (depicted above), a priest from the Diocese of Cremona near Milan, passed away on Saturday, March 14, after contracting the Coronavirus.
Msgr. Rini managed Cremona’s diocesan newspaper for 30 years and formerly held the position of president of the Italian bishops’ news agency. He was also a celebrated novelist and literary expert, having served as the Church’s representative to the Cristina di Savoia Cultural Congresses, which seek to promote Christian culture in Italy.
In addition to Rini, 6 priests from the Diocese of Bergamo have reportedly succumbed to the coronavirus, according to the Italian news site Bergamo News.
Bishop Francesco Bechi informed Italian journalists that, apart from the six priests in his diocese who lost their lives to the virus, 20 others have been admitted to hospitals, as reported by Bergamonews.
Bergamo, a city north of Milan, has been identified as the region most severely affected by coronavirus infections in the country.