Pope celebrates Mass despite virus surge
ROME — Pope Francis celebrated Christmas Eve Mass before an estimated 2,000 people in St. Peter’s Basilica on Friday, going ahead with the service despite a resurgence in coronavirus cases that has prompted a new vaccination mandate for Vatican employees.
Francis proceeded down the central aisle without a face covering as the Sistine Chapel choir sang “Noel,” kicking off the Vatican’s Christmas holiday that commemorates the birth of Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem. The pope remained maskless throughout the service.
In his homily, Francis urged the faithful to focus on the “littleness” of Jesus and remember that he came into the world poor, without even a proper crib.
“That is where God is, in littleness,” Francis said. “This is the message: God does not rise up in grandeur but lowers himself into littleness. Littleness is the path that he chose to draw near to us, to touch our hearts, to save us and to bring us back to what really matters.”
Attendance on Friday was limited to about 2,000 people, far more than the 200 allowed in 2020, when Italy was in a full Christmas lockdown. But it is a fraction of the capacity of St. Peter’s, which can seat up to 20,000 and in pre-pandemic times would be packed for one of the most popular Vatican liturgies of the year.
The “Midnight Mass” began at 7:30 p.m., a nod to the 85-year-old pope’s endurance and a holdover from last year, when the service had to end before Italy’s nationwide COVID-19 curfew.
No curfew is in place this year, but coronavirus cases this week have surged beyond 2020 levels.
For the second day in a row, Italy on Friday set a pandemic record with 50,599 new cases. An additional 141 people died, bringing the country’s official death toll to 136,386.
With the arrival of the Omicron variant in Italy, the Vatican secretary of state on Thursday imposed a new vaccination mandate, extending it to all Vatican employees except those who have recovered from the coronavirus. Previously, only employees who deal directly with the public, such as staff at the Vatican Museums and the Swiss Guards, had to be vaccinated; others could access their offices with regular testing.
The mandate does not apply to the faithful attending Mass, but they are required to wear masks.
Those attending Friday’s Mass, and the priests, bishops and cardinals concelebrating it, all wore masks.
Francis, who is missing part of one lung and had intestinal surgery in July, has largely eschewed masks, even when greeting prelates and the general public.
“I’m not worried, because first of all, I have a mask on, and I’ve had my third dose, so I feel relaxed,” said Franco Pasquali, a resident of Rome who attended the service. “The problem is those who don’t vaccinate, that’s all.”
Francis is believed to have received the third booster shot, as has Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Francis has said vaccination is an “act of love” and has called for wealthy countries to provide the shots to the developing world.
Among those attending the Mass was Melissa Helland, an American tourist who was visiting Rome with her family.
“This is the first time in the last two years that we’ve been able to gather, both as a family and to attend Mass, because of the pandemic, so we are very excited and grateful,” she said before the service began.