Budapest, Feb 26, (dpa/GNA) – The largest Catholic church in Budapest is closing its doors because of the coronavirus pandemic.
On Friday, the parish priest of St Stephen’s Basilica, Auxiliary Bishop Gyorgy Snell, 71, died after a coronavirus infection, the primate of the Catholic Church in Hungary, Cardinal Peter Erdo, wrote on the Facebook page of the archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest.
He went on to say that the chaplains of the basilica were also infected with the coronavirus.
The secular staff of the religious building are considered contacts and would therefore have to go into quarantine. For this reason, the church would have to suspend its liturgical activities until further notice.
The basilica is popular with tourists. With a height of 96 metres, it is one of the tallest buildings in Budapest.
GNA