News Briefs

Italian cardinal tests positive for COVID-19

October 29, 2020 CNA Daily News 1

Rome Newsroom, Oct 29, 2020 / 02:00 pm (CNA).- Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, the president of the Italian bishops’ conference, has tested positive for COVID-19.

Bassetti, the archbishop of Perugia-Città della Pieve, is 78 years old. His co… […]

Nice basilica terrorist attack: Who were the victims?

October 29, 2020 CNA Daily News 1

Rome Newsroom, Oct 29, 2020 / 12:02 pm (CNA).- This story is developing and will be updated:

Bells tolled in Catholic parishes across France in memory of the three people killed in a knife attack at the Basilica of Notre-Dame in Nice Thursday morning.

This is what is known so far about the victims:

Vincent L., sacristan:

One of the victims has been identified as the sacristan of Notre-Dame Basilica in Nice, Vincent L., who was 55 years old and a father of two daughters. He had served the basilica as sacristan for 10 years.

Catholics in Nice remembered Vincent for his dedicated service to the Church. Fr. Jean-Louis Giordan, the former rector of the basilica, told Vatican News that he first hired Vincent as sacristan of the basilica a decade ago.

A person familiar with the basilica told the French daily Le Parisien: “He’s not just a sacristan. He helped a lot the priest who was old. … He was the handyman. The candles were always well lit … He was very discreet and very efficient. He didn’t speak much. He acted with great humility and respect. He is the first person we thought of when we learned of the attack,”

“He was an ordinary man, in the good sense of the word: nice, open,” Fr. Gil Florini, parish priest of Saint-Pierre-d’Arène-de-Nice church, told Le Figaro.

 

 

«Une personne dévouée et appréciée de tous»
➡ Chargé de l’accueil des fidèles, Vincent, 55 ans, est une des victimes de l’attentat de #Nice. Sous le choc, un paroissien décrit ce sacristain comme «un bon vivant» et «quelqu’un d’expansif et sympathique» https://t.co/Z7MhZ9CQzC pic.twitter.com/Luwu0kpHjq

— Le Parisien (@le_Parisien) October 29, 2020

 

An elderly woman who came to pray:

A woman described as elderly by French reports came to pray at the basilica on the morning of Oct. 28. Le Figaro reported that she was found dead with her throat cut, “nearly beheaded,” near the holy water font inside of the basilica.

A mother:

A third victim, whom French media have identified as a mother in her 40s, was attacked inside the church and is said to have taken refuge in a nearby cafe, where she died from stab wounds. According to the French television news channel BFMTV, a witness heard her say, “Tell my family that I love them,” as she died.

 

In addition to those killed in the attack, police report that others were injured in the basilica.

Police arrest perpetrator:

French police say they arrested the perpetrator, who has been identified as Brahim Aouissaoui, 21, who reportedly arrived from Tunisia at the Italian island of Lampedusa in late September. After spending some weeks in virus quarantine, Aouissaoui is reported to have arrived in France in early October. Aouissaoui is reported to have been taken to the hospital by police with a gunshot wound.

 

 


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Rome’s American seminary quarantines as students test positive for coronavirus

October 29, 2020 CNA Daily News 2

Rome Newsroom, Oct 29, 2020 / 08:30 am (CNA).- The college for American seminarians in Rome is quarantining as a campus after several students tested positive for the coronavirus this week.

A spokesman for the Pontifical North American College told CNA that the seminary had “some students test positive,” and that those students are being isolated while other students and faculty are quarantining on the Rome campus.

Vice Rector Fr. David A. Schunk said the seminary is “increasing our testing,” following the positive results.

Rome’s Pontifical Universities, which have students from around the world, resumed in-person in early October. 

After ending the 2019-2020 academic year with online classes during Italy’s national lockdown, the Vatican-accredited schools were directed in June to prepare to teach in person with added health and safety measures.

Pontifical universities continue to offer some online learning as needed, especially for those who were not able to return to Rome or must quarantine. Some universities have had students test positive for the coronavirus as cases in Rome and across Italy continue to rise.

Students arriving at the North American College from the United States in August and September were required to take COVID-19 tests and observe a travel quarantine for 14 days at the seminary’s campus on the Janiculum Hill, not far from the Vatican.

After the travel quarantine ended for the 33 new students, called “New Men,” in early September, they were able to attend Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica and make a pilgrimage to Assisi for two days.

They also had the chance to meet Pope Francis in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Sept 6. 

In the meeting, Fr. Peter Harman, rector of the seminary, assured the pope of their continued prayers. “We have just returned from pilgrimage to Assisi, and there we begged the intercession of St. Francis for Pope Francis,” he said.

“Please pray for us, that this new year will be one of grace, health and growth always in God’s will,” the rector asked Francis.


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