In a break from centuries-old tradition, Pope Francis' Angelus prayer has been live-streamed to avoid crowds in Saint Peter's Square as a precautionary measure to stop the spread of coronavirus, AP reports.

People watch Pope Francis deliver the Angelus prayer on a giant screen in Saint Peter's Square. — AP
People watch Pope Francis deliver the Angelus prayer on a giant screen in Saint Peter's Square. — AP

The Angelus prayers are normally delivered by the pontiff every Sunday from his window but the Vatican had promised to review the 83-year-old pontiff’s schedule “to avoid the dissemination” of the new COVID-19 disease after Vatican City reported its first COVID-19 case earlier this week.

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