People wearing face coverings walk past St. Peter’s Basilica. / Daniel Ibáñez/CNA.
Vatican City, Sep 28, 2021 / 12:00 pm (CNA).
The Vatican on Tuesday provided more information about the enforcement of rules obliging visitors and employees of the city-state to have a COVID-19 vaccine pass.
From Oct. 1, all visitors and personnel will be required to show a digital or paper COVID Certificate proving they have been vaccinated, have recovered from the coronavirus, or have tested negative for the disease, to enter Vatican City and its territories.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, issued a decree on Sept. 28 stating that Vatican employees or officials who do not follow the regulation will not be allowed to enter their place of work and must be considered “unjustified absent.” Pay will be withheld for all days of unjustified absence.
Any requests for exemption from the COVID-19 pass rule will be assessed by the Secretariat of State in consultation with the health and hygiene office of the Governorate of Vatican City State, the ordinance said.
Personnel who do not have the COVID-19 pass issued by the Italian state, called a “Green Pass,” can alternatively show a negative COVID-19 test result to access their workplace. Employees will be responsible for testing costs, according to the decree.
It also noted that the Vatican’s health and hygiene department will decide for how long the test results are valid. Italy’s Green Pass has a validity of 48 hours for rapid antigen tests and 72 hours for molecular tests.
Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, the president of Vatican City State, issued the COVID-19 pass ordinance on Sept. 20.
He said that the regulations were being implemented at the request of Pope Francis, who asked the authorities “to take all appropriate measures to prevent, control and combat the ongoing public health emergency in the Vatican City State.”
Under the new rules, Catholics going to Mass or confession in St. Peter’s Basilica, or in other churches on Vatican territory, will not need to have the COVID-19 pass.
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Vatican City, Jul 15, 2021 / 05:40 am (CNA).
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U.S. President Joe Biden / Credit: White House – Public Domain
Washington D.C., Dec 31, 2022 / 14:25 pm (CNA).
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When Pope Pius IX declared the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary on December 8, 1854, he had a golden crown added to the mosaic of Mary, Virgin Immaculate, in the Chapel of the Choir in St. Peter’s Basilica. / Daniel Ibañez/CNA
The Catholic Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, is sparing no effort in addressing that through its new, seven-part video series “Mary, Explained.”
In preparation for its upcoming golden jubilee in 2024, the diocese has launched a three-year effort to prepare for the celebration.
Year One, which began in November 2021, focused on the theme of the Eucharist. Out of that theme the diocese produced a series called “The Mass, Explained,” which received much positive feedback.
This year, the second year of preparation, the theme for the diocese is “rejoice,” and the focus is Mary’s perfect example of joy.
Kerry Nevins, multimedia producer for the Arlington Diocese, told CNA: “‘Rejoice’ is centered around Mary’s response to the Annunciation when she is told that she’s going to be the mother of God.” He explained that this was their call from Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, who leads the diocese.
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge shares his thoughts in the “Mary, Explained” series on the importance of Marian theology and why the diocesan faithful ought to see Mary as our model disciple. Photo courtesy of Diocese of Arlington
As Burbidge, Nevins, and their Arlington Diocese team continued to explore the theme, they decided to create a video series about Mary.
The seven-part series will unpack the Marian dogmas month by month by way of addressing the following topics: Who is Mary? (May); Was she the mother of God? (June); Was she immaculately conceived? (July); Was she assumed into heaven? (August); Was she ever-virgin? (September); Why do Catholics pray and have devotions to Mary? (October); and How can we embrace Mary as our model disciple? (November).
Nevins explained that the mission of the series is to “dive into who she is, what Catholics believe about her, what Catholics don’t believe about her, and why we should even be looking to her in the first place.”
“We don’t just want to know our faith for the sake of knowing our faith so we can get a couple of answers right on Catholic ‘Jeopardy,’” Nevins told CNA. “We want people to know their faith so that they can know Christ and come to be in a relationship with him, and I think the best way that you can get to know somebody is by meeting their mom.”
Dr. Matthew Tsakanikas, associate professor of theology at Christendom College who is featured in the series, expressed how this project gracefully addresses a wide audience, hearing perspectives from priests, religious, and laypeople alike. Tsakanikas told CNA: “I think it’s written so that anyone accessing it has a chance to get insights at every level.”
Tsakanikas noted how “Mary, Explained” takes what might seem like lofty ideas and brings them down to us. “These dogmas aren’t supposed to be … just looking at Mary on a pedestal but also looking at Mary in terms of how these graces were assigning her a task and mission,” he said.
Through a deeper understanding of the Marian dogmas, viewers can understand how she, too, was commissioned to bring about the kingdom of God here on earth and hopefully encourage them to do the same.
At a glance, it’s evident that the production quality was carefully considered.
“A lot of planning went into it,” Nevins said. “We really believe that … quality is credibility.”
With endless options to click through, Nevins acknowledged that the content had to be aesthetically appealing if they wanted people to consume it. “We really want to make Catholic media beautiful because we’ve got the greatest story to tell, but if the story doesn’t look good, people aren’t going to watch it,” he said.
Beyond the production quality, the mission of the series is to stoke a fire of love for the Church and deepen devotion to Our Lady.
Father Daniel Hanley, formator at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, told CNA: “Letting people know and enter into relationship with Mary as spiritual mother is hugely important. She’s a real person, she’s involved in our life, and we should recognize it and let her be.”
The bishop’s leadership and inspiration is credited with the initial vision for the series, but the diocese was well suited for the project, according to Hanley. “There’s a lot of Marian devotion in our diocese,” he added.
Those involved in the production of “Mary, Explained” are hopeful that the series will bear the fruit of Marian devotion in their diocese and beyond.
“It’s part of God’s plan for salvation that people know her and let her be part of their life,” Hanley said. “I noticed that they’ll lean in when you preach about Mary. There’s a desire to know more about her.”
What exactly is Covid 19? How does the vaccine work? What Scientific information did the Vatican use to mandate the Vaccine, and who in the Vatican made this decision?
What exactly is Covid 19? How does the vaccine work? What Scientific information did the Vatican use to mandate the Vaccine, and who in the Vatican made this decision?