Despite the fact that it is possible to go to Mass in Italy, the pope has not celebrated liturgies open to the public. In fact, the General Audience on Wednesdays still has not taken place in St. Peter's Square.
Tomorrow at 9:45 a.m. local time, the Mass for Corpus Christi will be celebrated with only 50 people. It will be at the Altar of the Chair and will conclude with a Eucharistic blessing. It is the same way Pope Francis finished his Masses in Santa Marta during the pandemic, when they were broadcast in streaming.
This will be the first time the pope will celebrate Corpus Christi within the Vatican. The usual tradition was to travel to the Basilica of St. John Lateran or to parishes in Rome. Due to the pandemic this year, there will also be no procession through the streets of the Eternal City.
Javier Romero
Translation: Melissa Butz
