The “Midnight Mass” began at 7:30 PM CET. The 85-year-old pope walked blindly down the aisle while the Sistine Chapel choir sang Christmas songs. The head of the Catholic Church called on the faithful who wore veils and kept their distance to modesty.
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This year, unlike last year in Italy, there is no curfew at night. However, the number of infected this week even rose above the level of 2020.
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For the second day in a row, Italy set a new daily record with 50,599 new infections. Another 141 people died, bringing the country’s official death toll to 136,386 since the start of the pandemic.
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The Vatican Secretary of State on Thursday imposed a vaccination obligation on all Vatican employees and extended it to all employees except those who had recovered from the coronavirus. Previously, only staff who dealt directly with the public, such as staff at the Vatican Museums and the Swiss Guard, were compulsorily vaccinated, while others had access to their offices with regular testing.
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Francis said vaccination was an “act of love.” He called on richer countries to give injections to the developing world.
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