An online petition calling for a canonical audit of the management of St Peter’s Basilica has been launched amid controversy over reports that a bistro or expanded refreshment area may be opened on the basilica’s terrace.
The petition, presented as an open letter to Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, expresses what it describes as “deep concern” among the faithful about decisions taken under the responsibility of the basilica’s archpriest, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti. It asks for a formal canonical and pastoral review, arguing that the introduction of a commercial or quasi-commercial space in such proximity to Christianity’s most important church risks undermining the sanctity of the site.
