In Italy, dozens of priests have succumbed to the coronavirus as they tend to the dying, trying to offer comfort in the absence of loved ones, who are not allowed to say a final farewell for fear of being infected.

“They die alone,” said Aquilino Apassiti (84), a priest from Bergamo who spent 25 years as a missionary in the jungles of Brazil and now works in a chapel attached to the city’s hospital. “In the Amazon, I dealt with leprosy and malaria, but I have never seen scenes as shocking as those of recent weeks,” he said.

The pandemic in Italy has taken a terrible toll on medical staff, with more than 10,000 infected, and nearly 70 doctors losing their lives. But what has received less attention is the impact it has had on clergy, killing more than 90 priests, as well as dozens of missionaries, monks and nuns. Many worked in hospitals, prisons and care homes, and were particularly exposed.

“The deaths of doctors get our attention, but there are many priests who have fallen victim while working as well,” said Alessandro Rondoni, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Bologna.