The Vatican says people must wear a face covering when they’re outdoors in the Vatican City State to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Bishop Fernando Vérgez, Secretary General of the Governorate of Vatican City State, says face covering masks should be worn “in the open air and in all workplaces where distance cannot Read more
The prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, has recovered from the coronavirus (COVID-19). Last Friday the cardinal discussed his experience during the coronavirus quarantine and his recovery. Speaking at an online conference for Catholic educators, he admitted struggling with “fear and anxiety” during the isolation. “But getting Read more
Catholics who demand Communion on the tongue despite Covid-19 restrictions are selfish, Fr Liam Power from Waterford, Ireland says. They don’t seem to “respect the danger this represented to others.” They are also a cause of “very serious embarrassment for priests, many of whom are elderly,” he says. Although the number of people wanting to Read more
Parishes risk reducing sacramental acts to commodities when they bow to pressure to rush through First Communion and Confirmation ceremonies. “Some efforts, often well intentioned, run the risk of reducing the administration of sacramental acts almost to the level of a supermarket in which you can drop in and ‘get the sacrament done.’ “This would Read more
The pope’s mask became the subject of media attention during his first major public audience since lockdown. After wearing a protective face mask in the car on the way to the 500-strong audience, Francis removed it, touching the mask’s front as he emerged from the vehicle. Maskless, he shook hands with prelates attending the audience. Read more
“We have defeated COVID-19 in Cameroon.” Archbishop Samuel Kleda of Douala made the announcement on September 10 during a press briefing in which he claimed that the herbal potion he concocted several months ago had saved several thousand people from the disease. The 61-year-old prelate, who has headed the Atlantic coastal archdiocese since 2009, has Read more
Working together for the common good during the pandemic is crucial or we’ll emerge worse off, Pope Francis told the crowd at his general audience last Wednesday. Focusing his talk on the common good, which is a central theme in the Church’s social teaching, he said: “A virus that does not recognize barriers, borders or Read more
Most British Catholics – 96 percent – will return to worship in a church once the coronavirus (COVID-29) pandemic is over. Results from a new survey say just 4 percent of Catholics in Britain won’t be going back to worship in church. The poll of 2,500 people was conducted by Catholic Voices, a group set Read more
Filipino cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle has become the highest-ranking Vatican official known to have tested positive for the coronavirus. The Vatican said on Friday that Tagle, 63, a Filipino who heads the Vatican’s missionary arm, had tested positive when he arrived in Manila on Thursday. Tagle, who met Pope Francis in a private audience on Read more
The Vatican tourism revenue has been hit hard by the pandemic. Like other major visitor hotspots, the Vatican is predicting big losses and has had to make cutbacks. The museums (which include the Sistine Chapel) cost about €20 (about $NZ35) to visit. Normally, tens of thousands of people arrive every day, generating millions of dollars Read more