People need to think beyond their upcoming travel plans and consider how much others may be suffering from the pandemic, Pope Francis said after Sunday noon prayer.
It would be better if people thought about how to help the weakest and most disadvantaged in society, he said, after the Angelus.
The pope gave advice from the Vatican library, due to concerns about the coronavirus.
He said he had read reports about people who had traveled abroad on vacation in more than 40 planes to escape from home confinement.
“They did not think about those who stayed at home, about the economic problems of many people who have been severely hit by the confinement, about the sick,” said Pope Francis.
They just wanted to have fun, he said, adding that this made him very sad.
His comments came as people from all over the world tried to escape the lockdowns and celebrated the New Year, despite regulations to stop the spread of the virus.
In Germany, the police repressed some who took advantage of the snow to go skiing in the south and west of the country.
In the days before, the Police of France, Spain and Germany had dissolved illegal gatherings on New Year’s Eve, as some welcomed 2021 with parties and raves.
On Saturday, Spanish police broke up a party in Barcelona for violating coronavirus lockdown regulations, after ravers tried to keep dancing over the weekend.
Police in Rennes, France, had to break up a similar party on the same day.
