Pope Francis offered the first public mass at St Peter’s Basilica in two months on Monday morning, where he celebrated the 100th anniversary of the birth of St John Paul II.

The Pope was joined by a limited number of worshipers.

Masses and religious ceremonies resumed in Italy on Monday under strict safety measures, after being banned for almost two months due to coronavirus.

Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza on Sunday called on citizens to “remain prudent,” as the country prepared to relax its coronavirus lockdown from Monday.

“Tomorrow there will be many more people out and so there will be a higher possibility of crossing paths with someone … tomorrow, the behaviors we have learned will be more necessary than before because there will be greater occasion for contagion,” Speranza said. “The virus is still not defeated. It’s not present like it was weeks ago, but it’s still here, so we must remain prudent.”