VATICAN CITY - In the lead-up to the opening of the Jubilee on Tuesday, which is also going to be attended by Pope Benedict XVI, security has tightened at St Peter’s. 

  For the pope’s weekly Angelus address last Wednesday, police were carrying out metal detector checks on people on the Via della Conciliazione, the main road leading to the Vatican. 200 cameras have also been installed in the square to allow police to have constant eyes on the area. 

  Furthermore, “in case of attack we have more than enough places for one to receive first aid treatment, 13 first aid service will be available, and we have reserved 300 beds for crisis situations and others also in military facilities”, said Franco Gabrielli, head of the Department of Civil Protection. 

  There has recently been a very heavy Carabinieri presence around the Vatican, especially following the attacks in Paris last month. Now, in Rome “there are over 2250 men of the armed forces deployed onto the streets. We must be on high alert.” Gabriel has also requested the halt of transport of weapons and explosives within the city tomorrow. 

  In addition, all flights have been banned in a radius of 10 kilometres from the centre of the Eternal City between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. tomorrow. State flights and emergency services are obviously exempt from the ban.

  Despite the extraordinary measures put in place, officials continue to stress that they have no knowledge of a specific or credible plot to attack Rome or the Vatican. 

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