After five months, Pope Francis will once more be surrounded by pilgrims. Health safety measures will of course be observed.
The Vatican has set up regulations so the pope can deliver his weekly catechesis to pilgrims coming to Rome. However, only 500 people will be allowed to attend.
Starting Sept. 2, the General Audiences will no longer be held in St. Peter's Square nor in Paul VI Hall. Instead, they'll take place in the Courtyard of St. Damasus, inside the Vatican.
This space is the entry point for global leaders arriving for a meeting with the pope in the Apostolic Palace. John Paul II would use it for meetings with young people during Holy Week.
Now Pope Francis will use this internal courtyard to hold his General Audiences for as long as the pandemic requires. It's a smaller space that will allow for more effective health checks at the entrance, which will open at 7:30 a.m. Tickets are not required.
Daniel Díaz Vizzi
Translation: Claudia Torres
