Covid-19: Vatican Museums, Pontifical Villas close again to public
A statement issued by the Holy See Press Office November 4 said the Vatican Museums will be closed to the public from November 5 to December 3, in compliance with the Italian government’s latest anti-Covid regulations.
The statement also said that, due to the current health situation, the Museum of the Pontifical Villas and the “Scavi” – the Vatican Excavations Office – will also be closed.
A note on the Vatican Museums website informs that all tickets that have already been purchased will be automatically refunded.
Similar precautionary measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus infections and protect the health of the public had already been implemented from March 9 to June 3 this year, in line with the national lockdown during the first wave of the pandemic in Italy.
The Vatican Museums are currently running an online campaign called “Snapshots for Creation” aimed at helping keep the public in touch with creation through images from the beauty of nature.
The initiative sees a picture from the Vatican Gardens published every Sunday.
Pope issues Motu proprio on the establishment of institutes of consecrated life
Pope Francis, with an Apostolic Letter issued motu proprio, and entitled Authenticumcharismatis, has modified canon 579 of the Code of Canon Law concerning the erection of institutes of consecrated life.
With this amendment, new institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life must receive written approval by the Apostolic See, which alone has final judgment as regards their erection. Previously the law stated that Diocesan Bishops could establish new institutes with prior consultation with the Holy See.
The new law will be promulgated a publication in L’Osservatore Romano. It will enter into force on 10 November 2020 and will be subsequently published in the official commentary of the Acta ApostolicaeSedis.
The Apostolic Letter underlines that “it is right to respond to the gifts which the Spirit inspires in particular Churches, welcoming them generously with thanksgiving” but it is also necessary to “avoid the imprudent emergence of institutes which are useless or lacking sufficient vigor” (Decree Perfectaecaritatis, §19).
Caritas Philippines appeals for aid to help in recovery from super typhoon
The Catholic Church’s humanitarian aid arm and a Jesuit university appealed for aid to help in recovery efforts after Super Typhoon Goni struck the Philippines.
Caritas Philippines and the president of Ateneo de Naga University sought aid from domestic and international sources in response to the strongest storm this year that killed at least 20 people and sparked mudslides that buried hundreds of homes.
The typhoon also forced about 390,000 people to seek shelter at evacuation centres, many of whom have yet to return to their homes.
Caritas Philippines also sought aid from the parent Caritas Internationalis in Rome, which is headed by Manila’s former archbishop, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.
“Initial help would be to provide food, water and emergency shelter to people in the evacuation centres,” Bishop Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan, secretary of Caritas Philippines, said in a statement.
The storm brought “greater poverty” to communities that were suffering from job layoffs in metro Manila caused by the coronavirus, he said.