Reopening of Saint Peter's marks first rung on the ladder for Italy's Catholics
18 May, 2020
Saint Peter's Basilica throws its doors available to visitors on Monday, marking a member of family return to normality at the Vatican and beyond in Italy, where most business activity is defined to resume.
Public masses also resume through the entire predominantly Catholic country after a two-month hiatus, while restaurants, bars, cafes, shops and hairdressers, among other businesses, are all expected to reopen.
When confronted with much opposition, including from Pope Francis, churches in Rome were shuttered at the start of the coronavirus emergency in early March.
Most, however, opened shortly thereafter, with entry reserved for prayer only.
"I share the joy of those communities who can finally reunite as liturgical assemblies, a sign of expect all society," Francis said on Sunday during his live-streamed prayer.
Italy's lockdown not only extinguished most business activity in the united states, but radically disrupted Italians' personal lives, including attending mass.
Francis has been livestreaming mass from a chapel at his residence within the Vatican City.
The Argentine pontiff isn't yet likely to lead any public religious ceremonies either in the basilica, that may accommodate 60,000 people, or in Saint Peter's Square, as the Vatican seeks to avoid crowds.
Francis will, however, celebrate an exclusive mass on Monday, broadcast by video, in front of the tomb of John Paul II, on the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Polish-born pontiff.
In Milan, the Duomo cathedral will conduct mass at 10:30 GMT. On Friday, the cathedral said it had introduced gizmos worn around the neck that beep softly, flash and vibrate if visitors approach too closely to one another.
Disinfection
In preparation for the reopening of Saint Peter's, the largest Catholic church on the planet was disinfected on Friday, with personnel completely protective suits and masks spraying down the top of 23,000-square meter site.
The Vatican State, an unbiased enclave in the heart of Rome, has applied the same anti-virus measures as Italy, where in fact the official death toll from the virus stands at almost 32,000.
The basilica, and also three other papal basilicas, is expected to follow a recommendation from Italy's interior ministry limiting attendance at religious celebrations in enclosed places of worship to 200 people.
Across Italy's thousands of churches, Catholics will be able to attend not merely masses but also weddings and funerals, provided they abide by a series of measures, including wearing masks and sitting or standing well spaced apart.
A lot more than 800,000 commercial activities which were under lockdown since Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte imposed restrictions on March 9 should be able to reopen on Mo
Source: www.thejakartapost.com
TAG(s):