Pope Francis’ weekly general audiences, which had resumed with the public participating, will be moved back indoors and held virtually after one participant tested positive for the coronavirus, the Vatican said on Thursday. A statement said the audiences will be held from the pope’s official private library, as they were during the height of the Read more
Posts Tagged ‘COVID-19’
Pope to return to virtual general audiences due to participant COVID-19 case
Monday, November 2nd, 2020Criticism for mask-less pope
Thursday, October 22nd, 2020Pope Francis is back to his mask-less old ways a day after donning a face mask for the first time during a liturgical service. A day after donning a face mask for the first time during a liturgical service, Pope Francis was back to his mask-less old ways Wednesday despite surging coronavirus infections across Europe Read more
Jobless marriage celebrant finds future career with redundant embalmer
Monday, October 19th, 2020A wedding celebrant whose business dried up during the Covid-19 outbreak has teamed up with a funeral director who lost her job during lockdown to forge a new future. Glennys Logan – who was the most popular wedding celebrant in New Zealand when her Central Otago business was thriving in January – was forced to Read more
Man at Pope’s house tests COVID-positive
Monday, October 19th, 2020
A man living in the same Vatican residence as Pope Francis has returned a COVID-positive test. The Vatican says those with whom the symptomless man had direct contact are in quarantine, as is he. The man is the first to test COVID-positive at the Santa Marta residence – which has about 130 rooms and suites Read more
Life, but not as we know it
Thursday, October 15th, 2020
I spent the early months of the coronavirus pandemic feeling desperately claustrophobic. Quarantined in a one-bedroom apartment in New York, I would sometimes imagine my fire escape was a creaky porch in the woods somewhere as I sat outside in the early evenings, listening to my neighbours’ cheer and bang pots for the essential workers Read more
Pope repeatedly passes on wearing mask in public
Monday, October 12th, 2020
Pope Francis’ repeated non-use of a face mask is again in focus as Four Swiss Guards test positive for COVID-19. The four are in isolation while their contacts are being traced, the Vatican said Monday. The Swiss Guards provide ceremonial guard duty during papal Masses, man the Vatican gates and help protect the 83-year-old Pope Read more
The unraveling of America
Thursday, October 8th, 2020
Never in our lives have we experienced such a global phenomenon. For the first time in the history of the world, all of humanity, informed by the unprecedented reach of digital technology, has come together, focused on the same existential threat, consumed by the same fears and uncertainties, eagerly anticipating the same, as yet unrealized, Read more
Grieving the lost parish
Monday, October 5th, 2020
Some Church groups are pressing for a post-pandemic opening up, others, who have already opened up, are sounding a lament as they find it is not business as usual. There are signs of grieving for the parish – an institution on its knees. World War II changed Western history. The post-war Catholic parish was an Read more
Bless me, Father…this is my first drive-through confession
Thursday, October 1st, 2020Rita Buettner says because of the COVID-19 pademic she had not been to confession for a long time. She decided to try to find a way to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. She tried out to a drive-through confession on Saturday afternoon St. John’s in Westminster, Md. Read more
Burqa ban destroyed by COVID-19?
Monday, September 28th, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic has thrown up an interesting paradox in European countries that have banned the burqa, full-face veil. In some French cities, for example, failure to cover your face and protect against COVID-19 can land you a €135 fine. Yet, officially at least, you could also be fined as much as €150 for covering Read more