Cardinal Parolin & Monsignor Pena Parra Both Positive for COVID

16 April, 2026

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Deborah Castellano Lubov

Featured News , Top Trending , Trending News , Vatican

18 January, 2022

1 min

Cardinal Parolin & Monsignor Pena Parra Both Positive for COVID

Vatican Secretary of State with 'Light Symptoms,' While Substitute of General Affairs Is Asymptomatic

Cardinal Parolin © Vatican Media

The Vatican Secretary of State and the Substitute for General Affairs are both positive for COVID.

Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, confirmed this to accredited journalists this morning, stating that Cardinal Pietro Parolin is experiencing ‘light symptoms’, while Monsignor Edgar Pena Parra, is asymptomatic.

Both, he noted, are isolating in their respective apartments. Both high-ranking Vatican officials had been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus during the Vatican’s active vaccination campaign.

In addition, on Dec. 23, 2021, the Vatican extended pre-existing anti-COVID measures and guidelines for employees, mandating proof of vaccination or recovery, and decreed specific behaviors required to prevent the contagion.

The Vatican Press Office did not respond to journalists’ inquiries as to the last time either Vatican prelate was with Pope Francis. Both are received by the Pope regularly.

Deborah Castellano Lubov

Deborah Castellano Lubov is Editorial Director & Senior Vatican & Rome Correspondent for EXAUDI (& Prior, for ZENIT); Author of 'The Other Francis' ('L'Altro Francesco') featuring interviews with those closest to the Pope and preface by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin (currently published in 5 languages); Deborah is also NBC & MSNBC Vatican Analyst. She often covers the Pope's travels abroad, often from the Papal Flight (including for historic trips such as to Abu Dhabi and Japan & Thailand), and has also asked him questions on the return-flight press conference on behalf of the English-speaking press present. Lubov has done much TV & radio commentary, including for NBC, Sky, EWTN, BBC, Vatican Radio, AP, Reuters and more. She also has contributed to various books on the Pope and has written for various Catholic publications. For 'The Other Francis': http://www.gracewing.co.uk/page219.html or https://www.amazon.com/Other-Francis-Everything-They-about/dp/0852449348/