Nigerian homeless man was found dead near St Peter’s a few days ago.

Pope Francis prayed for a homeless man from Nigeria who died just metres away from St Peter’s Square, inviting everyone to pray for him, after yesterday's Angelus at the Vatican.

The 46-year-old Nigerian homeless man died alone, amid freezing conditions, and was found dead by charity workers from Rome's Community of S. Egidio, reports Vatican News.

“On 20 January, just a few meters from St Peter’s Square, a Nigerian homeless man named Edwin was found dead from the cold,” said the pope. “His plight is similar to that of many other homeless people who have died recently in Rome under the same dramatic circumstances.”

• Vatican vaccinates Rome's homeless people against covid-19

The pontiff gave the Angelus address via livestream in the library of the Apostolic Palace due to the covid-19 crisis.

Edwin was "ignored by all, abandoned, even by us” - said the pope - “Let us pray for him.”

• Vatican offers free covid-19 tests to homeless

The S. Egidio charity group said that Edwin was at least the 10th homeless person to die of the cold in Rome since November.

Last week the Vatican began offering free covid-19 vaccines to homeless people who are aged over 60 and are living nearby in accommodation facilities run by the Church.

The Vatican launched its covid vaccination programme on 13 January, with Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, aged 84 and 93 respectively, among the first to receive the vaccine.