Every Catholic church in Rome closed over coronavirus

By Tim Pearce

Published March 12, 2020 10:08pm ET

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Every Catholic church in Rome closed over coronavirus — Faithful watch Pope Francis deliver the Angelus prayer on a giant screen, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, March 8, 2020. Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced a sweeping coronavirus quarantine early Sunday, restricting the movements of about a quarter of the country's population in a bid to limit contagions at the epicenter of Europe's outbreak.

The Diocese of Rome has closed all Catholic churches across the city and exempted Roman Catholics from attending Sunday Mass because of the coronavirus.

Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, who is in charge of the diocese, announced Thursday that all churches in his jurisdiction would be closed by April 3. This is the first time in history all the Catholic churches in Rome have been closed to worshipers, according to CNN.

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Catholic Church COVID-19 Disease Europe European Union Infectious Disease Rome