The Pope condemned people traveling abroad 'for their own pleasure' amid COVID-19 lockdowns

• Pope Francis condemned people who traveled abroad for vacations amid COVID-19 lockdowns during his Sunday prayers from the Vatican Library.
• The pontiff said in his address: "But those people, good people, did they not think about those who stayed at home, about the economic problems faced by many people who have been floored by the lockdown, about the sick? They thought only about taking a holiday for their own pleasure. This pained me greatly."
• Pope Francis ended with a sentiment for the new year, saying: "We can work a bit more to take care of one another and our common home."
• As of Sunday, there have been 84 million reported cases of the novel coronavirus worldwide and 1.83 million COVID-19-related deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Pope Francis on Sunday condemned people who chose to travel abroad for vacations amid COVID-19 lockdowns.

The pontiff said that he was "saddened" by newspaper reports of travelers who flew abroad to "flee from the lockdown and to enjoy the holidays," according to a translation of his Sunday prayers from the Vatican.

"But those people, good people, did they not think about those who stayed at home, about the economic problems faced by many people who have been floored by the lockdown, about the sick?" he said. "They thought only about taking a holiday for their own pleasure. This pained me greatly."

In an effort to prevent crowds from gathering, the religious leader gave his address on Sunday in the Vatican Library - while his traditional spot is a window overlooking St. Peter's Square, where people stand outside to listen in person, according to CNN.

Pope Francis also shared on Sunday a sentiment for the new year: "We don't know what 2021 will have from us, but together, we can work a bit more to take care of one another and our common home."

As of Sunday, there have been 84 million reported cases of the novel coronavirus worldwide and 1.83 million COVID-19-related deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Many countries have recently implemented new or amended lockdown rules. For example, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the BBC on Sunday that lockdown rules could "get tougher" amid the recent spread of a COVID-19 variant that's potentially 70% more transmissible.

Pope Francis has previously used his speeches to encourage people to consider the common good amid the pandemic

In his annual speech on Christmas Day, he urged for "vaccines for all."

"I ask everyone - government leaders, businesses, international organizations - to foster cooperation and not competition, and to seek a solution for everyone: vaccines for all, especially for the most vulnerable and needy of all regions of the planet," the pontiff said in his 2020 Christmas speech. "Before all others: the most vulnerable and needy!"

In November, Pope Francis took to a New York Times op-ed to condemn anti-lockdown protestors.

"If we are to come out of this crisis less selfish than when we went in, we have to let ourselves be touched by others' pain," Pope Francis wrote in the op-ed.

• Read more:
• What the COVID-19 vaccine could mean for the future of travel
• The states with and without travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic
• Pope Francis slams anti-lockdown protesters and praises healthcare workers in New York Times op-ed
• 4 ways the pandemic has made flying worse in 2020 - and 7 surprising ways it has actually gotten better