After refusing permission for an annual Latin Mass pilgrimage to celebrate a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican is instead hosting a talk on St Francis of Assisi at the same time and altar the pilgrimage Mass would have used.
On September 24, three speakers will take to the pulpit at the Altar of the Chair of St Peter in the Vatican, delivering a conference to mark the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis. The event is open for ticketed entry only, meaning that for several hours before the 3:30pm start time the pews in front of the altar will be closed off to tourists and pilgrims alike.
