The Superintendency's authorization will arrive before Christmas. And the restoration will begin during the holidays, allowing Sant'Efisio to present himself to the faithful in top form for the next Feast, the 370th edition. The broken index finger of his right hand, sustained in an accident during the votive procession last May, will be completely repaired. Likewise, the "scratches" on his body, in some cases actual deep wounds, inflicted by the gold and sword the Saint wears each year when he calls thousands of faithful on a pilgrimage to fulfill his vow, will disappear.
New rules
But if the Warrior Martyr appears healthier, despite his age, the Superintendency is studying new rules to prevent the Saint from needing "treatment" in the future. And so, a crackdown on the behavior of the faithful during the procession is being considered. Nothing is definitive, for now. But it seems increasingly certain that all but a few authorized persons will be prohibited from touching the statue during the procession to the sites of his martyrdom, as well as the need to minimize the number of stops the carriage makes (how many? hasn't yet been determined), and that souvenir selfies will be banned when the Saint is carried out of the shrine (which have little to do with devotion).
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