By Nirmala Carvalho

Mumbai, April 10, 2020: Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, blessed the coronavirus-affected city with a relic of the Cross after the Good Friday service on April 10.

The cardinal led the Way of the Cross in the Holy Name Cathedral at Nathalal Parekh Marg in Mumbai, capital of Maharashtra which tops the Indian state for corona affected people.

At the end of April 10, Maharashtra recorded a total of 1,574 confirmed and 1,278 active cases with 188 deaths. As many as 210 active cases and 11 deaths occurred in the past 24 hours.

Tamil Nadu that comes second has 911 confirmed and 858 active cases and nine deaths.

The national figures are 7,598 confirmed and 6,578 active cases with 246 deaths.

Cardinal Gracias conducted the traditional Good Friday services without the participation of the people. The program was telecast on the archdiocese’s website and a few other web channels because of the restrictions imposed on gatherings to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

The various stations were commented with passages taken from the reflections of Saint John Henry Newman.

At the end, Cardinal Gracias addressed the virtual participants and blessed the people with the relic of the True Cross.

The prelate, who heads the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, said the relic is a gift Brescia, an Italian city where Saint Paul VI was born.

The cardinal said that in 2015 the saintly Pope’s family and the Diocese of Brescia had invited him to visit the place, some 560 km northwest of Rome.

“My dear people, in 2015, I was personally invited by the family of Pope Paul VI and. I went to repay the visit of Pope Paul VI (now Saint Paul Vi) to India.

“His family took me to his home in Brescia. I visited the home of Paul VI. I celebrated Mass for the diocese on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14).

“On that occasion, I received the relic of the True Cross. This relic was given by the Emperor Constantine on his way back after the Cross had been found (by his mother, Saint Helena). [. . .] It is guarded very specially, but the authorities, the Mayor, gifted me a sliver.”

The Good Friday fell on the 17th day of the nationwide lockdown Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced from March 25. The government has curtailed activities and transportation until April 14.

A few states have extended the lockdown until May 1.