Pope Francis will celebrate the Mass for the dead in a Vatican cemetery

Due to restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19, Pope Francis will celebrate the feast of November 2 with a "strictly private" mass in a Vatican cemetery.

Unlike in past years, when the pope would mark the feast with an outdoor mass in a Rome cemetery, the November 2 mass will take place "without the participation of the faithful" at the Vatican's Teutonic cemetery, the Vatican said in a statement issued on October 28.

Known as the "Cemetery of the Teutons and the Flemings", the Teutonic Cemetery is located near St. Peter's Basilica and is located on the site that was once part of the Circus of Nero, where the first Christians were martyred. According to tradition, the cemetery chapel of the Madonna Addolorata marks the place where St. Peter was killed.

After the mass, the pope "will stop to pray in the cemetery and then go to the Vatican caves to commemorate the deceased popes," the statement read.

The Vatican also announced that the Pope's annual commemorative Mass for cardinals and bishops who died last year will be celebrated on November 5.

"Like other liturgical celebrations in the coming months", the statement reads, the pope will celebrate the liturgy at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's Basilica with "a very limited number" of faithful "in compliance with the protective measures provided and subject to changes due to the current health situation. "

The declaration's reference to "liturgical celebrations in the coming months" does not specify which liturgies, but there are several noteworthy celebrations in the coming months, including the consistory of November 28 to create new cardinals and the celebration of the Christmas night mass on the 24 december.

However, it is expected that both celebrations will be limited to a small group of faithful.

Vatican-accredited diplomats, who usually attend Christmas mass, were told in late October that it wouldn't be possible this year.