1972 Press Photo St. Peter's basilica tourists

The Vatican allowed immodestly dressed persons to enter St. Peter's basilica, but only if they agreed to wear black and white plastic raincoats issued by attendants. The move, in effect, ended a ban imposed one year ago on men and women wearing scanty garb. By noon Vatican sources said about 500 persons, most of them women, had put on the raincoats in order to visit the world's largest Catholic Church. Persons borrowing the raincoats were asked to donate cash for upkeep and maintenance of St. Peter's. The donation is about 25 cents. The Plastic garments looked some what like ponchos, covering the shoulders and falling to knee length for persons of average height. The Vatican last August imposed a ban on persons judged immodestly or indecently dressed and assigned a nun named Sister Fiorella (little flower) to guard skirts, shorts, see-through blouses, low cut sweaters and shirt-pant combinations which left the midriff bare. But Sister Fiorella was relieved a few weeks later. The Vatican said she was suffering from nervous exhaustion.

Photo measures 7.25 x 9.5 inches.

Photo is dated 08-08-1972.



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