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Catholic Mass in Rome and the Vatican were also suspended until 3 April, and Pope Francis opted to instead live stream daily Mass. [72] Dismayed by the Vicar General's complete closure of all churches in the Diocese of Rome, Pope Francis partially reversed the closures, but tourists are still barred from visiting the churches.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Vatican City was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The Holy See reported the first case of infection in Vatican City on 7 March 2020. [ 2 ]
It is a special time of pardon and forgiveness for Catholics and the Vatican expects 32 million tourists to visit Rome throughout the year, including for a range of special audiences with Francis.
On 28 January 2021, the European Union reinstated a travel ban from Japan due to an alarming rise in COVID-19 cases, removing Japan from the EU's safe countries list. [102] The following countries were listed as safe countries amidst the pandemic – Australia, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, New Zealand and Thailand.
A statue of the late Pope John Paul II stands outside the Gemelli Hospital where Pope Francis has gone to continue treatment for ongoing bronchitis in Rome, Italy, Feb. 14, 2025.
The Vatican and China have had strained relations since the communist party took power in 1949. [ 11 ] 20 September – The Vatican issues a decree that would require visitors to show proof of vaccination ( Italian Green Pass or an immunity passport ), or a negative test an beginning October 1.
The Vatican said at the time that the medical tests continued to indicate “a complex picture” for one of the oldest popes in the church’s history. ... “All the tests carried out to date ...
[13] [14] The Vatican announced that the Holy Week celebrations in Rome, which take place at the end of Lent—Christian penitential period—would be canceled. Some dioceses ordered their churches to be closed to the public, while in other dioceses, such as the Archdiocese of New York , although they canceled the Masses, their churches ...