Tourists won't be allowed to visit the world-famous Catholic pilgrimage site until at least early April.
As of now, the restrictions are set to be lifted mere days before Holy Week, which starts this year with Palm Sunday on April 5.
The changes mean that the pope’s biweekly public appearances at the basilica, which generally draw thousands of Catholics and tourists, won’t be taking place as usual.People stand behind barriers on Tuesday after the Vatican's Saint Peter's Square and its main basilica were closed to tourists as part of control measures against the spread of COVID-19.his Angelus address from the library in the Apostolic Palace.
And instead of his typical Wednesday general audience, Francis will broadcast a sermon online, CNS reports. Andrea Arcangeli, a health official for the Vatican City State, said the pope’s public appearances are being canceled to avoid the crowding and close contact that occurs during police security checks.
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