SUMMARY:
-
NEW POPE FRANCIS VISITS ST. MARY MAJOR, COLLECTS SUITCASES AND PAYS
BILL AT HOTEL
-
POPE FRANCIS' FIRST ACTIVITIES
______________________________________
NEW
POPE FRANCIS VISITS ST. MARY MAJOR, COLLECTS SUITCASES AND PAYS BILL
AT HOTEL
Vatican
City, 14 March 2013 (VIS) – It was no secret. Like one who has no
cares that everyone knows what he intended to do, at 8:24pm last
night in his first public appearance he stated: “Tomorrow I am
going to pray to the Virgin, for the safekeeping of all of Rome.”
Then at 8:05 this morning, leaving the Vatican for the first time as
pontiff, the newly elected Pope took one of the Gendarmerie's simple
service cars to the papal basilica of St. Mary Major, the oldest and
largest church dedicated to the Virgin in Rome. It is also one of the
four largest in Rome and claims the King of Spain as its proto-canon.
The new pontiff of the Catholic Church chose to enter through one of
the basilica's side doors.
Upon
entering the basilica the Pope headed toward the venerated icon of
Our Lady “Salus Populi Romani" (Protectress of the Roman
People) accompanied by, among others, Cardinal Santos Abril y
Castello, archpriest of the basilica and Cardinal Agostino Vallini,
vicar general of the Diocese of Rome.
The
Holy Father, after leaving the Virgin a bouquet of flowers on the
altar, prayed silently for about 10 minutes before the main altar
that is directly above the crypt containing relics of the crib or
manger of the Nativity of Jesus. He also visited the basilica's
Sistine Chapel, which is where St. Ignatius of Loyola celebrated his
first Mass after being ordained a priest. He waited several months,
until Christmas Eve 1538, to say his first Mass. “It is a very
significant place in Jesuit spirituality,” Fr. Federico Lombardi,
S.J., director of the Holy See Press Office, noted. Finally, the new
Roman Pontiff also stopped to pray before the tomb of St. Pius V,
which is also in that chapel.
Pope
Francis also greeted the basilica's chapter of canons, confessors,
and priests as well as all the personnel that work there and the
faithful and journalists that he met along the way.
The
Holy Father left as he had arrived, with a minimal escort and
entourage. He was accompanied by Archbishop Georg Ganswein and Msgr.
Leonardo Sapienza, S.C.I., respectively prefect and regent of the
Prefecture of the Pontifical Household. Along the way, however, he
surprised everyone by first sending an affectionate greeting to
children from a nearby school and then by asking his driver to stop
by the Domus Internationalis “Paulus VI” near Piazza Navona where
he had stayed before entering the Conclave. The Pope greeted those
working there, gathered his belongings, and paid his bill.
MASS
WITH CARDINAL ELECTORS IN THE SISTINE CHAPEL
The
Holy Father's first liturgical celebration will be with the cardinals
who participated in the Conclave at 5:00pm this afternoon. They will
concelebrate the “For the Church” Mass in Latin, with the
readings in Italian. As the Vatican spokesman commented, “the
Pope's homily will probably be in Italian”. General information
regarding the readings and prayers can be found at the Office for
Liturgical Celebrations page of the Vatican website.
After
that Mass, the Holy Father will go to the apartment prepared for him
at the Domus Sanctae Marthae though, as Fr. Lombardi reported, “he
will only be there a short time as the Pope is expected to move
quickly into the Vatican apartments, which are now almost ready for
him.”
The
director of the Holy See Press Office commented on the Pope's first
public appearance yesterday evening, greeting the crowd gathered in
St. Peter's Square. He noted a few significant gestures that
characterized the simplicity and serenity of that encounter,
beginning with the Pope's request that the faith pray for him and his
choice of vestments. “The new Pope wore neither the red “mozzetta”
(the elbow-length cape worn by high-ranking prelates) nor a stole and
his pectoral cross was the same simple one that he has worn as bishop
and Cardinal archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The choice of his
name Francis, after St. Francis of Assisi, strongly recalls the
saint's evangelical spirituality and radical poverty. His papal name
is simply 'Francis', not 'Francis I', since he is the first pontiff
to bear that name. If after him another pontiff chooses that name
then he will be 'Francis I'.”
Another
gesture made by the new Pope, Fr. Lombardi continued, was that
yesterday in the Sistine Chapel, when his cardinal brothers paid him
homage, instead of sitting on the papal throne, he stood as he
received them. Then, instead of taking the papal car that had been
prepared for him to return to the Domus Sanctae Marthae, he took the
same minibus he had arrived in along with the other cardinals. He
briefly addressed the cardinals at the festive supper, after thanking
them, saying “may God forgive you [for what you have done]”.
The
director of the Holy See Press Office also answered a question
regarding the renewal of the heads of the curial offices in their
positions. “It is traditional that in the first days of his
pontificate that the new Pope confirms those appointments. In the
past few times they were confirmed “until further notice” in the
first days of the pontificate as customary and then, at a later
moment, little by little the Popes chose their close collaborators
with complete freedom. This is a very personal act of government that
falls solely to the Pope.”
Regarding
the security problems that could arise from the more “informal”
style of the new Pope, Fr. Lombardi pointed out that “those
responsible for the security of the pontiff are at his service and
adapt their methods to protect each Pope in their personal style.
John Paul II, for example, was a pontiff who broke with all
expectations and went to greet people without any prior warning.
Those entrusted with the Pope's security adjust their methods to
protect each in their own way.”
Finally,
speaking of Pope Francis' health, Fr. Lombardi confirmed the report
that, when he was young, some 40 years ago, he had a pulmonary
illness and part of one lung was removed but that “this has never
been an obstacle either in his rhythm or for his work, his life, or
his pastoral care, as demonstrated by leading a diocese that requires
such dedication as that of Buenos Aires.”
POPE
FRANCIS' FIRST ACTIVITIES
Vatican
City, 14 March 2013 (VIS) – During the course of this afternoon's
press conference, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., director of the Holy
See Press Office, repeated the information for the upcoming papal
events after this afternoon's Mass in the Sistine Chapel with the
Cardinal electors.
On
Friday, 15 March, at 11:00am in the Clementine Hall he will meet with
the full College of Cardinals, electors and non-electors, in the
Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace. As the Holy See Press Office
spokesman noted, this will be a familial gathering, with the Pope
personally greeting each of the cardinals.
On
Saturday at 11:00am in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope will hold an
audience with accredited journalists (permanent and temporary) and
those who work in the media.
On
Sunday, 17 March at 12:00pm, he will recite the first Angelus of his
papacy from the papal apartments overlooking St. Peter's Square, as
is customary.
On
Tuesday, 19 March—the Feast of St. Joseph, patron of the Church—the
Mass to inaugurate the new papacy will be held at 9:30am in St.
Peter's Square. No tickets will be issued for that Mass. All who wish
may attend.
On
Wednesday, 20 March, he will hold an audience with fraternal
delegates representing the heads of the various Eastern rite Churches
so there will not be a General Audience.
You
can find more information at: www.visnews.org
The
news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used,
in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:
V.I.S.
-Vatican Information Service.
Copyright
© Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City
No comments:
Post a Comment