Vatican, prelate residing in Santa Marta positive in Covid-19

2020-03-25T21:48:34.651Z

An Italian monsignor on duty at the Vatican Secretariat of State was found positive today for Coronavirus and taken to hospital. Informed sources report this to Ansa. The prelate has lived for some time in Casa Santa Marta, the same Vatican residence where Pope Francis lives: it is learned that the prevention measures provided for in the protocols have been adopted for the building and its inhabitants. It would be the fifth infected by Covid-19 in the Vatican. No official confirmation came from the Vatican. Therefore, there are five cases of positiveness beyond the Tiber. Just on Tuesday the Vatican made the situation official: "At present there are four cases of positivity to Coronavirus found: in addition to the first previously reported, it is an employee of the Freight Office and two employees of the Vatican Museums ", said the director of the press room, Matteo Bruni. "The four people had been placed in solitary confinement before they tested positive and their isolation has lasted for over 14 days; they are currently being treated in Italian hospitals or at their home," he explained. Even today Pope Francis returned to the theme of the pandemic from Covid-19: in times of pandemic the "Gospel of life" must be relaunched, since for the Church the defense of life "is not an ideology", but "a human reality that it involves all Christians ". In the general audience broadcast live on video from the Library of the Apostolic Palace, the Pope recalled that exactly 25 years ago "St. John Paul II promulgated the Encyclical 'Evangelium vitae', on the value and inviolability of human life", and " today, we find ourselves relaunching this teaching in the context of a pandemic that threatens human life and the world economy ". At noon, then, always on video from the Library Room, the Pope prays to the Our Father at the same time, at his invitation, with the leaders and faithful of all the Churches and Christian Communities (while another moment of prayer will be the protagonist on Friday. at 18.00 from the churchyard of San Pietro, in front of the empty square, with a special Urbi et Orbi blessing and attached plenary indulgence). "As confident children we turn to the Father - he says introducing 'the prayer that Jesus taught us' -. We do it every day, several times a day; but at this moment we want to implore mercy for humanity severely tried by the Coronavirus pandemic And we do it together, Christians of every Church and Community, of every tradition, of every age, language and nation ".