A maskless Pope Francis met guests at a crowded indoor papal audience last week, kissing the hands of newly ordained priests and embracing people who pulled their masks down or did not wear masks at all, flouting the Vatican’s coronavirus protocols.

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” hosts Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell discuss the Vatican’s existing protocols and why Pope Francis may be hesitant to wear a mask.

"Our biggest problem is hunger; we are helping feed people who have watched their livelihoods evaporate with the pandemic," said Father Rolón.

The four are in isolation while their contacts are being traced. They join three other Vatican residents who tested positive in recent weeks.

In a press statement released on Oct. 8, the diocese said that the decision to restrict attendance at Mass to as few as 10 people in the worst-affected zip codes is a violation of the First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion.

Catholic moral theology can offer some answers.