Live streams

Pope Prays, Packs Ahead of Vatican Departure

Tourists are reflected in a portrait of Pope Benedict XVI's in St. Peter's Square, a day before the Pope's last general audience, the Vatican, Feb. 26, 2013.

TEXT SIZE - +

Reuters

February 26, 2013

ROME — Pope Benedict was praying and packing on Tuesday two days before his move out of the Vatican and into retirement where he will assume the title of "pope emeritus" and still be referred to as "your holiness."

The Vatican said Benedict was spending a quiet Tuesday in the apostolic palace with no audiences.

"Today is a day dedicated to prayer and preparation for the events of the next two days," Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said at a daily news briefing.

Lombardi said the pope was sifting through documents to see which will remain in the Vatican and go into the archives of his papacy and deciding which "are of a personal nature and which he will take to his new residence."

Among the documents left for the next pope will be a confidential report by three cardinals into the "Vatileaks" affair last year when Benedict's former butler leaked private papers revealing corruption and in-fighting inside the Vatican.

The new pope will inherit a Church marked by Vatileaks and by child abuse scandals by priests in Europe and the United States, both of which may have weighed on Benedict's decision to decide he was too old and weak to continue the papacy.

The pope has two days left before he takes the historic step of becoming the first pontiff in some six centuries to step down instead of ruling for life.

Given the unique nature of the occasion, Vatican officials have had to find a title for the former pope, decide how he should be addressed and what he should wear.

After two weeks of consultations with aides, theologians and historians, the Vatican announced the status Benedict will assume after he is no longer leader of the 1.2 billion-member Roman Catholic Church.

Benedict will be known as "pope emeritus Benedict XVI" or "Roman Pontiff emeritus Benedict XVI," be addressed as "Your Holiness," and be referred to as "His Holiness Benedict XVI."

This means that after the election of the new pope next month there will be two men with the title holiness'' in the Vatican at the same time.

Mexican shoes

Upon retiring Pope Benedict XVI will lay aside the red "shoes of the fisherman" that have been part of his papal attire, Guanajuato airport, Silao, March 26, 2012.

Benedict will lay aside the red "shoes of the fisherman" that have been part of his papal attire and wear brown loafers given to him by shoemakers during a trip to Leon, Mexico, last year. He will wear a "simple white cassock," Lombardi said.

Benedict's lead seal and his ring of office, known as the "ring of the fisherman," will be destroyed according to Church rules, just as if he had died.

The Vatican released a detailed schedule of the pope's last two days on the "Throne of St. Peter."

On Wednesday he will hold his last general audience, a weekly event which would normally be held in a vast auditorium in winter, but has been moved outdoors to St. Peter's Square so more people can attend.

Some 50,000 people have asked for tickets, which are free, but many more are expected to attend and stand at the back of the square.

Benedict will then meet some foreign leaders. On Thursday, he will greet cardinals in Rome, many of whom have come to take place in the conclave to elect his successor.

That afternoon at 5 p.m. [1600 UTC] he will fly by helicopter to the papal summer retreat at Castel Gandolfo, a 15-minute journey south of Rome.

There, he will make an appearance from the window of the papal villa to greet residents and well-wishers expected to gather in the small square.

That will be Pope Benedict's last public appearance.

At 8 p.m. [1900 UTC] the Swiss Guards who stand as sentries at the residence will march off in a sign that the papacy is vacant.

Benedict will move into a convent in the Vatican in April, after it has been restored.

On Friday, cardinals in Rome will begin meetings known as "general congregations" to prepare for the secret conclave that will elect a new pope.

This week Benedict changed Church rules so that cardinals could begin the conclave earlier than the 15 days after the papacy becomes vacant, prescribed by the previous law.

The change means that the cardinals, in their pre-conclave meetings, can themselves decide when to start.

The Vatican appears to be aiming to have a new pope elected by mid-March and installed before Palm Sunday on March 24 so he can preside at Holy Week services leading to Easter.

Cardinals have begun informal consultations by phone and email in the past two weeks since Benedict said he was quitting.

You May Like

A woman views floral tributes to Drummer Lee Rigby, of the British Army

Report: MI5 Tried to Recruit Woolwich Murder Suspect

Suspect's friend, arrested Friday, told BBC Michael Adebolajo had been approached by British security service months ago to work as informant More

US Secretary of State John Kerry (foreground) speaks at a joint news conference with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Tedros Adhanom in Addis Ababa May 25, 2013.

Kerry Calls on Nigeria to Stop Human Rights Abuses

After meeting with Nigerian president, US top diplomat welcomes Abuja’s efforts to investigate, reign in excesses by troops fighting Boko Haram militants More

Apple co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak are seen working together in this undated photo.

Vintage Apple Computer Sells for $671,400

Auctioneer says buyer is from 'Far East' and wishes to remain anonymous More

FILE- Unmanned Predator B drone, taken November 8, 2011.

Pakistan Reiterates Opposition to US Drone Strikes

Day earlier US President Barack Obama justified 'constrained' drone usage to save lives More

Authorities are taking samples of live poultry from mainland China to test for the H7N9 virus, April 11, 2013.

Study Identifies Risks of Human Spread of H7N9 Bird Flu

Study suggest that international measures to contain the H7N9 influenza, in the event of severe outbreak, will need to be targeted in Asia More

Anti government protesters burn tires and place rocks in the streets in Conakry, Guinea, May 3, 2013

Violence Continues in Conakry Over Upcoming Elections

Opposition has called for boycott of elections More

Syria's Civil War Fuels Violence in Iraq

Analysts say al-Qaida-linked militants are flowing back and forth from both countries More

Star Trek Influence Lives Long and Prospers

As new movie thrills, many are once again discussing the iconic franchise's influence on society, science and technology More

A view of Badong city on the banks of the Yangtze River, in Hubei province, China, August 7, 2012.

OECD: Developing Green Cities Key to Sustainable Future

OECD suggests strategies to mitigate rapid growth, industrialization in urban centers, which produce about two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions More

This forum has been closed.

Comment Sorting

Comments

by: Kafantaris from: USA Ohio

February 26, 2013 7:33 PM

Report Comment

“This is the test. Do you love your unknown neighbor as yourself? Do you love your dirty, hairy, smelly, dispossessed neighbor as yourself, and will you reach out to help?”
"Everything else is footnotes.”

Featured Videos

Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.

Video

Volunteers Help Revive LA's Concrete River

The Los Angeles River is a concrete drainage channel through much of its 80-kilometer length. It channels waste-water from storm drains and has become a receptacle for much of the city's trash. But as Mike O'Sullivan reports, the river is slowly being restored with the help of volunteers, who take part in an annual clean-up.