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Pope Francis Keeps Distance, But Wears No Mask During Audience

VOA News

   At his weekly public audience Wednesday at the Vatican, Pope Francis
   kept his distance from the faithful, who had come to hear him, but once
   again appeared in public without a mask amid a resurgence of COVID-19
   in Italy.

   The pope told his audience -- which was much smaller than usual due to
   the surging infection rate -- he would love to come down and greet
   them, but "this is contrary to the measures and the precautions we must
   take in order to face 'Madame COVID.'"

   Francis went without a protective mask Wednesday even when he greeted a
   few mask-less bishops at the end of his audience.

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