Coronavirus: Pope Francis has been stamped for coming into close contact with two infected cardinals

Pope Francis He suffered a sample on Wednesday after two neighboring cardinals tested positive for coronavirus. As a result, he had to change his Christmas schedule, which will now include streaming events. At 84 years old, the Sovereign Pontiff is a person considered at risk.

Although he did not show symptoms compatible with the disease, the Vatican’s Directorate of Health and Hygiene made the decision to dab him after the cardinals. Konrad krajewski and Giuseppe Bertello positive test. They are two people very close to the Pope, with whom he has held many private meetings at the Santa Marta residence, where he lives.

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Krajewski, the chaplain responsible for Francisco’s charitable work, confirmed he was infected on Tuesday. The 57-year-old cardinal is known in the Vatican as “Robin Hood”, a nickname given to him by the Pope for his works in favor of the most vulnerable.

The religious showed symptoms of pneumonia and was admitted to a hospital in Rome. The Holy See is checking with whom it has been in contact in recent days. The other infected is the President of the Vatican City State Government Giuseppe Bertello, 78 years old.

The Pope’s agenda

Faced with the tightening of restrictions imposed by the pandemic in Italy, the Holy See has decided that Francis he will not appear in public at Christmas. On this day, he traditionally gives his message from the loggia of Saint Peter’s Basilica, followed by the blessing “Urbi et Orbi”.

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This year, the High Pontiff will give his christmas blessing from the Hall of Blessings of the Vatican Apostolic Palace. Additionally, it will be filmed at noon on Friday, December 25, inside the Apostolic Palace, in an effort to discourage worshipers wishing to visit St. Peter’s Square.

The Pope will not celebrate his Angelus of December 26 and 27 and January 1, 3 and 6 from the traditional window of the Apostolic Palace in which he addresses the faithful present in St. Peter’s Square. To strengthen prevention measures, he will intervene from his private library. All events will be broadcast live on the streaming channels of the Holy See.

In this context, Francisco has already announced that This Thursday 24 the Rooster Mass will advance by two hours, It will be at 7:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. in Argentina) to respect the night curfew of 10 p.m., in force throughout Italy to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Francisco’s health

Besides his age, there is another factor that adds to the condition of “person at risk” in the face of the coronavirus: at the age of 21, in 1957, Francisco they had to remove part of his right lung due to infection, according to his biographer, Austen Ivereigh.

Although the Vatican vaccination campaign will begin in early 2021, there are no details yet on when Francis will receive the vaccine.

During the first incarceration in Italy, the pontiff was also forced to isolate himself in his library on Sundays during the Angelus prayer, but then he briefly leaned out of a window to greet St. Peter’s Square, which appeared empty. .