Virus shuts famed French church in Rome

The French community church in Rome, St Louis of the French, closed its doors to the public on Sunday after a priest was infected with a new virus.

The church in the historic centre of Rome is famous for three paintings by the Baroque master Caravaggio, making it a destination for tourists and the faithful alike. A sign on the door Sunday noted in French that the church had been closed as a precaution by the French Embassy for both Masses and tourist visits until further notice.

The Religious Information Service news agency reported that the church was closed after a 43-year-old priest who had returned to Paris was hospitalized after being infected by coronavirus.

The service carried a statement by the archbishop of Paris, Michel Aupetit, who said the priest, who had been living in Rome, returned to Paris by car in mid-February, and tested positive for the virus on Friday. The priest was in good condition, Aupetit said.

It was the first church in Rome closed by the virus. Churches in much of Veneto and Lombardy, two Italian regions hardest hit by the virus, have closed their doors under widespread measures aimed at containing the spread of the virus, which has infected more than 1,100 people and killed 29 people in Italy.

Televised Masses were available for the faithful.