Pope cancels traditional pre-Christmas ceremony due to COVID-19

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By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis has cancelled a ceremony that traditionally begins Rome's Christmas season on Dec. 8 at the Spanish Steps because of coronavirus restrictions, the Vatican said on Monday.

The pope customarily places a wreath of flowers at the base of a 12-metre column bearing a statue of the Madonna and blesses from a distance another wreath already placed around the statue's arm by firefighters using a ladder.

The Vatican said Francis would skip the ceremony, which popes have been carrying out on the feast of the Immaculate Conception since 1953, "in order to avoid any risk of contagion caused by gatherings of people".

Thousands of people usually line the streets near the area to see the pope and pray with him.

The Vatican said the pope would instead hold a private service to entrust the city, its people and the sick around the world to the Madonna.

Video: Pope installs 13 new cardinals

Pope installs 13 new cardinals

Pope Francis installed 13 new cardinals at the Vatican on Saturday in a ceremony that was slimmed down because of the pandemic. Among them: Washington D.C. Archbishop Wilton Gregory, who became the first African American to hold the high rank. Francis placed upon him and the others the traditional red hat known as the biretta. Gregory had made headlines in June when he blasted President Donald Trump's visit to a Catholic shrine after police and soldiers used tear gas and rubber bullets to clear protesters so that the president could be photographed in front of a historic Washington church holding a Bible. Gregory told Reuters this week he wants to seek common ground with President-elect Joe Biden despite disagreements on issues such as abortion. With each ceremony, Francis has boosted the odds that his successor will be a non-European. He has so far appointed 18 cardinals from mostly far-flung countries that never had one. Nine of the 13 confirmed Saturday are eligible to enter a secret conclave to choose the next pope. Francis has appointed more than half of the 128 cardinal electors. Most of them share his vision of a more inclusive and outward-looking Church. After the ceremony, Pope Francis and some of the new cardinals paid a visit to former Pope Benedict.

It has already announced that access to all of the pope's traditional Christmas activities, including his "Urbi et Orbi" ("To the city and the world") blessing and message, will be restricted because of the COVID-19 crisis.

Only a limited number of people will be allowed into St. Peter's Basilica for papal Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses, which will be broadcast on television and streamed on the internet.

Last month, the pope's weekly general audiences were moved back indoors with public participation after a period when a limited number of people were allowed to take part.

Recently, more than a dozen Swiss Guards and one person who lives in the residence that houses the pope tested positive for the coronavirus and had to be quarantined.

The first Western country hit by the virus, Italy has recorded 54,904 COVID-19 deaths since its outbreak emerged in February, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain. It has also registered 1.585 million cases to date.

(Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

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