ROME — After an outcry from the nation’s Roman Catholic bishops, Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte says he has signed an accord with church officials to allow resumption of public Masses during the pandemic.
Under Italy’s two-month lockdown decree, no Masses for rank-and-file faithful have been permitted, although some churches could stay open for individual prayer.
Faithful in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation will be able to attend Mass starting on May 18, the same day that many more retail shops are tentatively scheduled to reopen.
The Italian Catholic Bishops Conference said the protocol reached on Thursday includes measures aimed at protecting Mass-goers from COVID-19 contagion, including the sanitizing of churches and objects used in them.
