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“They all returned within two weeks,” said a person who’s been working in the Roman Curia for over fifteen years, adding that it still seems a bit hard to believe.
Yes, the tourists and pilgrims have returned to the Eternal City.
Two years of pandemic – punctuated by lockdowns and health protocols that have included face masks, “green passes” and social distancing – had almost made Rome residents forget that these visitors still existed.
Only the inhabitants of the “village” had remained over the long haul – the 4,800 Vatican employees, 2,700 of whom work in the Curia.
Making their way to work each morning just before eight o’clock, they could cross St. Peter’s Square in peace without running into the crowd of pilgrims who would normally arrive early to attend a religious ceremony or papal audience, or visit the basilica.
Holy Week marked the real return of the crowds at the Vatican. And since then, a long queue can again be seen snaking along the colonnades as people line-up to enter the massive church.
The souvenir dealers are also back. Continue reading
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News category: News Shorts, World.
