Pope Francis Stars In Public Service Announcement For COVID Vaccinations

Pope Francis is making history as the first pontiff to ever appear in a public service announcement by lending his presence to an international campaign from the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative to encourage people to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

What Happened: Pope Francis is joined in a three-minute online video titled “Unity Across the Americas” with six cardinals and archbishops from North, Central and South America in extolling the safety and efficacy of the vaccines against the ongoing pandemic.

"Thanks to God's grace and to the work of many, we now have vaccines to protect us from COVID-19," said Pope Francis. "Getting the vaccines that are authorized by the respective authorities is an act of love. I pray to God that each one of us can make his or her own small gesture of love, no matter how small, love is always grand."

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Why It Matters: While the vaccination rate in the U.S. is currently at 72%, the rate is significantly lower south of the border, ranging from as little as 5.5% in Honduras to 30% in El Salvador.

The PSA, which was made in cooperation with the Vatican's Dicastery for Integral Human Development, is being released in Spanish with English and Portuguese subtitles. This marks the first time that the Ad Council has distributed a PSA to a multi-lingual international audience.

Photo: A screenshot of Pope Francis in the new PSA for COVID-19 vaccines.