Pope Francis resumes general audiences with the public

Members of the public will be able to attend Pope Francis' general audiences again from September 2 after an absence of nearly six months due to the coronavirus crisis.

The Prefecture of the Papal Household announced on August 26 that the Pope's general audience will be held next Wednesday "in the presence of the faithful".

He said the hearings would be held in the Cortile San Damaso of the Apostolic Palace throughout September, following advice from the authorities trying to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

General audiences are usually held in St. Peter's Square or in the Paul VI Hall. But when the pandemic hit Italy in March, the pope moved his general audiences to the library of the Apostolic Palace, where they took place without public access.

The library's first live-streamed general audience took place on 11 March.

The Holy See press office said the decision was "necessary to avoid the risk of spreading COVID-19 due to the gathering of people during the security checks for access to the square, as requested by the Italian authorities".

The Prefecture noted that general audiences in September will begin at 9.30 local time and will be "open to all those who wish, without the need for tickets".

Participants will be admitted to the courtyard from 7.30 am through the Bronze Doors, located under the right colonnade in St. Peter's Square.

Italy reported 261.174 cases of COVID-19 and 35.445 related deaths as of August 26, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.