Italy's government signed a protocol on Thursday allowing people to return Christian Mass congregations on May 18 after weeks of tension and negotiations with the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), a statement from the Chigi Palace read
ROME (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th May, 2020) Italy's government signed a protocol on Thursday allowing people to return Christian Mass congregations on May 18 after weeks of tension and negotiations with the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), a statement from the Chigi Palace read.
The document was signed in Rome by Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte, Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese and President of CEI, Archbishop Gualtiero Bassetti, according to the palace.
"The signing of the protocol is the result of an intensive dialogue between the government and CEI," said Lamorgese.
The measures have been colloquially named phase two by the Italian media as some relaxation of restrictions began on May 4.
Church attendance was prohibited in early March which forced the heavily Catholic country to miss a host holiday masses including Easter.
CEI pushed to include the resumption of mass in the first batch of measures, but the government refused.
On May 4, Italian began coming out of what has become the longest lockdown in the coronavirus pandemic.
Italy became one of the most highly infected countries in the world in March but a gradual decrease in new cases and deaths has led the nation to reinstate public transportation and allow some businesses to resume.
