By Verghese V Joseph –
Come September 2, after more than five months, the general audiences of the Holy Father will resume with the presence of the faithful.
According to a press note from the Holy See office, following the health instructions of the authorities, the hearings in September will take place in the San Damaso Courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, starting at 9.30 a.m. Participation will be open to all who wish, without the need for tickets. The entrance will be given from 7.30 am from the Bronze Door (right colonnade of St. Peter’s Square).
It is indeed a great occasion for the faithful to be allowed once more to attend the general audience in person.
This last time the pope held his general audience in the presence of pilgrims was on February 26, before the coronavirus forced Italy into lockdown.
On March 11, St. Peter’s Square remained empty, as online streaming became the only way to follow the weekly event. General audiences are usually held in either St. Peter’s Square or the Paul VI Audience Hall. But when the pandemic struck Italy in March, the pope transferred his general audiences to the library of the Apostolic Palace, where they took place without public access.
The decision became “necessary in order to avoid the risk of the spread of COVID-19 due to the gathering of people during security controls for access to the square, as requested by the Italian authorities,” the press note added.
Italy reported 261,174 cases of COVID-19 and 35,445 related deaths as of Aug. 26, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.