43 Catholic priests died in the second wave of coronavirus in Italy

Forty-three Italian priests died in November after contracting the coronavirus, while Italy is experiencing a second wave of epidemic.

According to L'Avvenire, the newspaper of the Italian bishops' conference, 167 priests have lost their lives due to COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic in February.

An Italian bishop also died in November. A retired auxiliary bishop of Milan, Marco Virgilio Ferrari, 87, died on November 23 due to the coronavirus.

At the beginning of October, Bishop Giovanni D'Alise of the diocese of Caserta died at the age of 72.

Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, president of the Italian Bishops' Conference, was gravely ill with COVID-19 earlier this month. It is continuing to recover after testing negative last week.

Bassetti, archbishop of Perugia-Città della Pieve, spent 11 days in intensive care in a hospital in Perugia, before being transferred to the Gemelli hospital in Rome to continue his convalescence.

"In these days that have seen me go through the suffering of the contagion from COVID-19, I have been able to experience the humanity, the competence, the care put in place every day, with tireless concern, by all the staff", Bassetti said in a message to his diocese on November 19.

“They will be in my prayers. I also carry with me in memory and in prayer all the patients who are still in the moment of trial. I leave you with an exhortation of comfort: let us remain united in the hope and love of God, the Lord never abandons us and, in suffering, he holds us in his arms “.

Italy is currently experiencing a second wave of the virus, with over 795.000 positive cases, according to the Italian Ministry of Health. Nearly 55.000 people have died from the virus in the country since February.

New containment measures were introduced earlier this month, including regional lockdowns and restrictions such as curfews, shop closings and a ban on dining in restaurants and bars after 18pm.

According to national data, the second wave curve is falling, even if experts report that in some regions of Italy the numbers of infections have not yet reached a peak.

In April, bishops from all over Italy visited cemeteries to pray and offer mass for the souls of those who had died from COVID-19, including priests