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A collective funeral of 111 coronavirus victims was held inside the municipality hall of Ponte San Pietro, just outside Bergamo, on Friday.
The holy mass took place in the main hall of the building and was observed by the two parish priests of the town, who blessed the urns of 111 people who had died of COVID.
The mayor, local police chief and a few civil servants were among those attending the ceremony, while relatives of the deceased were not allowed to take part.
Ponte San Pietro is one of the three transit centres in Bergamo’s province for bodies awaiting cremation, as Bergamo’s crematorium is struggling to cope with the number of deceased.
“We wanted to gather them here in the council hall, in the presence of the military and religious authorities for a moment of prayer. We believe it’s fair to welcome them in the most dignified manner, with a religious moment of meditation,” said Marzio Zirafa, mayor of Ponte San Pietro, who confirmed the urns will be transferred to several cemeteries.
Italy is one of the worst-hit countries by COVID-19 in Europe. The total number of confirmed cases is now 143,626 and as of Friday, there have been 18,279 confirmed deaths.
Video ID: 20200410-044
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