COVID-19 Report: Rome and the Vatican during Holy Week

For the Vatican and the City of Rome, Holy Week has been eerily quiet. The thousands who generally flock to St. Peter’s Square have stayed away because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yet, the Pope will be celebrating all services on his own with no audience.  And the Vatican’s offices remain open even though there’s been confirmed coronavirus cases. But social distancing is taking place.

Voice of America reporter Sabina Castelfranco has been covering the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on Italy and the Vatican and she joins us from Rome.

Sabina tells us why she thinks Italy became the first European country to be impacted by the coronavirus and why it spread as quickly as it did.  She also comments on how Pope Francis is being protected from the the coronavirus after members of the Vatican became infected.  And we’ll learn how Holy Week will be celebrated differently this year.

Note:  All of the Holy Week events will be streaming Live on the Vatican News Media channel.