Vatican Bans Tattoos And Edik For St. Peter's Basilica Workers

JAKARTA - The Vatican prohibits workers in St. Peter's Basilica from having tattoos or body piercings that can be seen to maintain decency.

The new regulations, issued on weekends, apply to about 170 layoffs at Fabbrica in San Pietro, the department responsible for Basilica.

Father Enzo Fortunato, head of Basilica communications, told Reuters on Monday, July 1, Basilica structured past norms that had been in effect in different forms.

However, he denied Italian press reports indicating unmarried laymen would also be barred from working at Fabbrica in San Pietro, and dismissed the report as a "gossip".

The regulation states that staff must have exemplary religious and moral behavior, including in private and family life, in accordance with Church doctrine.

The Catholic Church teaches that sex between unmarried couples is a sin, and even couples who are engaged and are getting married must also maintain adultery.

Pope Francis angered several conservative groups by repeatedly saying the Catholic Church should focus on mercy and forgiveness rather than enforce strict rules.