Vatican Forbids Employees from Publicly Displaying Tattoos and Piercings in New Rules


The Italian newspaper "Il Messagero" published in Rome summarized the Vatican's new order for lay employees of the cathedral workshop of St. Peter's Basilica. This is "more than a dress code: it is a binding reminder of decency, diligence and responsibility."
 "It is forbidden to wear piercings or tattoos in public or to join 'associations whose goals are not compatible with the teachings of the Church'. In addition, there are no [premarital or illegitimate] cohabitations, only church weddings. The new regulation calls for very specific obligations for lay employees who work in various functions in the cathedral workshop and who come into contact with thousands of tourists, especially with regard to the Holy Year [2025]."

According to the "Messagero", the orders affect both the "sampietrini", the handicraft-oriented employees of the cathedral workshop, and the employees at the administrative level of St. Peter's Basilica. After all, the administrative authority of the cathedral workshop "has been the subject of several scandals in recent years: from the theft of works and documents kept in archives to cases of opaque procurement. Even the art collection of an elderly canon who died in the Vatican last year has recently given rise to concern and raised doubts about the origin of some works still stored in a warehouse," explains "Il Messagero". It was therefore "time" for Pope Francis to get involved in this area.
 "From now on, they can be dismissed or suspended if it turns out that they are passing on information about the events in the basilica to outsiders. They are no longer allowed to welcome strangers into the office or 'remove original documents, photocopies, electronic copies or other archival material'. It is also forbidden to 'illegally use the cathedral workshop's stamps and stationery or its computer software for private purposes'. They will no longer even be able to 'receive or send private correspondence through the office', 'accept orders or carry out external tasks'.
The "Sampietrini" include "bricklayers, bridge workers, plumbers, forklift drivers, carpenters, electricians, painters, marble workers, blacksmiths or workers who carry out maintenance work," explains the "Messagero" and quotes from the new regulations. The Samietrini are "called upon to pay particular attention to their external appearance. 'Out of respect for decency and the working environment, visible skin tattoos and elements of piercings are prohibited.' They must wear appropriate clothing that is suitable for the work they are doing. 'Service clothing may only be worn while on duty.' Sampietrini with a torn or stained uniform "or who wear the uniform outside of work will be subject to disciplinary sanctions.'"

In conclusion, the “Messagero” explains: “Above all, Pope Francis seems no longer willing to compromise on one point and the rule applies to all employees, from workers to civil servants: Papal secrecy and confidentiality, under threat of suspension or even dismissal.”
In 2018, when asked about tattoos and other expressions of modern culture by a seminarian from Ukraine, the pope said that the problem is that some people exaggerate by covering their body with tattoos, but “the problem is the exaggeration, not the tattoos.”
Yulian Vendzilovych, a seminarian at Holy Spirit Seminary in Lviv, told the pope that some people sport tattoos to express beauty, and others as a cultural symbol, but it is not easy for a young priest to judge which parts of modern culture are good and which are not.
“Don’t be afraid of tattoos,” the pope responded, noting that for many years Eritrean Christians and others have gotten tattoos of the cross on their foreheads.
“Of course, there can be exaggerations,” the pope said, remarking that people who get too many tattoos cannot give blood because of a “danger of blood poisoning.”

Sources: Il Messagero - Breitbart - 

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