Papa says don't preach! Pope refuses to cover his face indoors despite rising infection rates in Vatican - as experts urge him to wear a mask

The Vatican's own Covid-19 experts have raised concerns over Pope Francis' decision to forgo wearing a mask, saying the pontiff is particularly vulnerable to the disease.

The Rev Augusto Zampini - one of the key members of the pontiff's Covid-19 commission - acknowledged that at the age of 83 and with part of his lung having been removed after an illness in his youth, Francis would be at high risk for complications if he were to become infected with Covid-19.

Zampini is one of a commission of experts Francis appointed to help chart the Catholic Church's path through the coronavirus pandemic.  

'He has started to use the mask now,' Mr Zampini said in response to reporters' questions about the pope's apparent disregard for protocol after being photographed numerous times without a mask indoors. 

Pope Francis, 83, has frequently been pictured without a face covering apparently ignoring Vatican rules to wear a face mask indoors. Experts are concerned that the pontiff is particularly at risk of contracting Covid-19 due to his age, weight and the fact that he is missing part of one lung after a childhood illness

While Francis has been pictured wearing a mask on one occasion, advisers hope he will begin to do so during his weekly general audiences held in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican. Above, Francis is pictured delivering his message on Wednesday, October 21 without a mask 

'And I hope he will use it in the general audiences, when he is close to the people. If you're in an open space, we know that it's different. But, well, we are working on that.'

Francis has courted some criticism for declining to wear a mask when indoors, even though Vatican regulations call for masks indoors and out when social distancing cannot be guaranteed. 

While Francis' lung condition could help explain his decision to forgo the mask, he donned one for more than two hours last week when he presided over an indoor and outdoor inter-religious prayer service in Rome.

However, the following day, Francis went maskless during his indoor general audience in the Vatican auditorium, including when he shook hands with a handful of similarly maskless bishops and leaned in to speak privately to each one.

On Saturday, he met with Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez, who arrived wearing a mask only to take it off for the audience in the pope's library.

Photos of the maskless leaders caused a mild stir in Spain over the weekend, but the prime minister's office dismissed it by saying the delegation was following Vatican protocol rules.

Spain last week became the first country in western Europe with more than one million confirmed virus cases.

The Vatican has declined to respond to questions about Francis and masks. 

The pontiff was pictured wearing a mask for the first time last week during a multi-faith ceremony calling for peace. It is possible that Francis' apparent reluctance to wear a face covering may be due to the effects of a childhood lung condition

Francis wore a white mask during the service at the Rome Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli. Pictured: Francis stands with the Ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I at the service

Photos of a maskless meeting between Francis and Spain's prime minister Pedro Sanchez on Saturday caused a stir in Spain, which last week became the first country in western Europe to record one million coronavirus cases

Sanchez (right in suit) and his wife Begona arrived for their meeting with the pope wearing masks but took them off during the audience. The Spanish prime minister's office dismissed concern over the meeting by saying the delegation was following Vatican protocol rules

Zampini said the recent rise in infections in the tiny city state have commission members and the Vatican as a whole concerned.

Thirteen Swiss Guards and a resident of the hotel where Francis lives have recently tested positive.

'We are very worried,' Zampini said, noting that the Vatican has strong regulations about keeping social distancing and washing hands within the territory.

'We have all protocols in place, but still we have cases.'

He acknowledged, though, that the contagion within the Vatican has merely driven home the danger of the virus so that the Vatican itself can be witness to what the rest of the world is experiencing and help be part of the solution.

The commission is working to address the current needs of the church around the world with concrete acts of assistance.

It is also developing policy recommendations for how governments and institutions can re-think global economic, environmental, social, healthcare and other structures to be more equitable and sustainable.