LORENZAGO UPDATE - 7/21/07
THE POPE ON VACATION, LORENZAGO DI CADORE, JULY 9-27
6,000 pilgrims expected
at Angelus tomorrow
LORENZAGO DI CADORE - Unlike the Angelus presided over by Pope Benedict XVI at Castello Mirabello last Sunday for representatives of the diocese of Treviso, tomorrow's Angelus, to be held at the Piazza Caldi, will not be an exclusive event for people with invitations.
Two thousand places - a thousand each on the extreme right and left of the piazza facing the Papal stage - have been assigned for pilgrims without any pass.
The diocese of Belluno-Feltre has 2000 reserved places also in two sectors, for parishes, church associations and youth groups. The municipality of Lorenzago itself also has two sectors, of 750 places each - for residents and people who own vacation homes in the area.
Directly in front of the stage will be 160 seats - the only ones available - for authorities and for the sick and handicapped who will be presented to the Pope after the Angelus.
As announced earlier, Cardinal Angelo Scola, Patriarch of Venice, and Cardinal Joseph Zen, Archbishop of Hongkong, are expected to attend.
Angelus will be preceded by Mass at the same piazza, concelebrated by Mons. Giuseppe Andrich, Bishop of Belluno-Feltre, and Mons. Andrea Mazzocato, Bishop of Treviso.
Parking areas have been assigned for buses and cars depending on where they are coming from. Except for the sick and disabled, who will be transported to the piazza in shuttles, other pilgrims will have to walk a distance of a half kilometer to 3 kms, depending on their assigned parking area.
For Sky video clip of preparations for Angelus,
Pope saying rosary with Giorgio, and choral concert:
www.skylife.it/videoTg24Single/45484
Choral concert
for the Pope went well
LORENZAGO DI CADORE - Benedict XVI closed his twelfth day on vacation last night listening to a concert by seven mountaintown choirs, capping a day full of happiness following the release in the Philippines of missionary priest Giancarlo Bossi.
The concert was offered by Mons. Giuseppe Aldrich, who presented the choirs of Cadore, Comelico, Cortina, Oltrepiave, Perala, Rualan, San Vito.
Each choir sang one number each, and then sang four numbers altogether, ending with the solemn 'Signore delle cime' (Lord of the peaks), a hymn which expresses the sense of spirituality that comes in the mountains.
The Pope made some impromptu remarks to them afterwards, recalling St. Augustine who said
'Cantare amantis est' (to sing is to be loving).
The concert lasted from 8:15 to 9:30 p.m.
Earlier in the evening, the Pope spent about 40 minutes in the woods near Castello Mirabello. Emerging from his walk, he greeted the people who awaited him at the roadside. [See Lorenzago update #3, 7/20/07].
Translation of
THE POPE'S REMARKS
AFTER THE CHORAL CONCERT
Excellency, dear friends,
At the end of this wonderful presentation of the musical culture of your Dolomite homeland, I can only say thank you with all my heart. Thank you for the beautiful culture of this region.
I was reminded of St. Augustine who said "Cantare amatis est" (To sing is to be loving). The source of song is love. Song is an expression of love. And I hear in your songs a great love for this beautiful land of the Dolomites, for this earth that has been given to us by the Lord.
In our thanks, in our love for the earth, is our love for the Creator, love for God who has given us these things, this life of joy. It is a joy that is even greater in the light of our faith, which tells us that God loves us.
Popular culture which presents itself in such an elevated manner is a treasure of our European identity which we should cultivate and promote. I thank everyone who does his part so that this great European culture may always be with us, today and in the future.
Education in music, to sing in a choir, is not only an exercise in external hearing or the voice. It is also an exercise in hearing interiorly, the heart listening, which is an exercise and education for life, for peace of mind, and for 'journeying together', as His Excellency said, referring to the diocesan Synod.
Bishop Andrich also referred to a terible and difficult time 90 years ago in this region, when these mountains became a terrible and bloody theater of war (World War I). Let us thank the Lord that today there is peace in our Europe, and let us do all we can so that peace may grow and expand for everyone around the world. I am sure that beautiful music like yours is itself a commitment for peace, an aid to living together in peace.
Therefore, my heartfelt thanks to all of you, to the Bishop, to the master of ceremonies, and to the choirmasters. Let me express my thanks in the name of the Lord, with my Apostolic Blessing.
Goodnight, thank you, arrivederci. I wish you all a good vacation.
===================================================================
The following is a more precise version of the report yesterday (Lorenzago Update - 7/20/07 #3)
about the Pope's brief meeting with people who waited for him to emerge from his evening walk in
the woods near Castelo Mirabello yesterday.
Encounter in the woods
7/20/07
LORENZAGO. After news earlier in the day that Pope Benedict XVI had spoken to Cardinal Bertone
about the release of Fr. Bossi, the Pope's secretary, Mons. Georg Gaenswein also told newsmen
in town around noontime, about the Pope's 'great joy' at the news.
And now, here was the Pope himself, emerging from the woods in the Park of Dreams...
Forty minutes earlier, around 6 p.m., barriers were set up at the tennis courts -
a sign that the Pope was coming down from Castello Mirabello for his evening walk.
Already, some villagers and tourists were making their way to the Park of Dreams.
They saw policemen entering the woods.
A tennis player protested that he was not allowed to proceed to the courts.
But the papal cars were arriving. They made a U-turn and stopped to let the Pope off -
into the firs and larches, accompanied by Mons. Gaenswein.
Security reopened the road to the Park from the town.
Some 30 persons, including a few journalists, chose to stay and wait for the Pope to come back.
We were kept together to wait.
"Good evening." After 40 minutes, the figure in white emerged on the path from the woods.
The people applauded. We were all expecting him to be in his car.
Papa Ratzinger walks briskly! He is wearing brown walking shoes.
"Good evening," he says courteously to the group whom the police had asked to spread out in a semicircle,
journalists in the back. No tape recorders, please, and turn off the microphones on the TV cameras!
A lady knelt and kissed the Pope's hand: "What an honor, Holiness!" He shook her hand then proceeded
to greet the children, caressing the babies.
A lady from Conegliano who has a vacation house in VallaPiccola said:
"Holiness, I sent you some Alpine flowers
[called 'stelle alpine', Alpine stars] the other day.
I know you got them because I received a letter of thanks."
The Pope: "Oh, the stelle alpine? Yes, I did get them, thanks again!"
An old man from Pieve di Cadore:
"The other day, I tried to send you directly a basket of porcini mushrooms..."
The Pope: "The mushrooms! Yes, I ate them!"
Then, a boy from Cortina. He had been playing, his hands were sweaty, and he wiped them on his pants.
The Pope: What is your name?
"Christian".
"Ciao, Christian!" the Pope said, and stroked his face.
Christian's parents later: "We work in Cortina
[d'Ampezzo, Italy's premier ski resort which is not far from Lorenzago.]
This was our only free day this week, and we came here, really hoping to see the Holy Father.
Then the Schiavinatos, who live right next to the tennis courts. "Usually we are on our porch -
and when he comes by, we wave, and he waves back to us from the car."
This time, they meet him face to face.
"Holiness," he says. "I am a lay worker in the Church."
The Pope opens his arms to him for a brief hug. His wife becomes emotional.
An older vacationer from Venice comes forward:
"Holiness, it is a great pleasure to meet you.
I have been so lucky I was also able to shake the hand of your predecessor."
The Pope: Did you meet him here too, in Lorenzago?
Old man: No, In Venice.
Finally, our turn. The police had been holding us back.
"What's to write?" The Pope remarks to one of us, who had an open notebook. "There is no news."
Actually, the Pope anticipated what we would ask.
Before the flustered newsman could answer, the Pope tells us:
"I am very happy Fr. Bossi has been released.
We are all thankful to the Lord."
Newsman: Have you thanked the government?
The Pope: Yes, we already spoke to (Prime Minister) Prodi,
and we are grateful to all who have worked for this release.
It was almost 7 p.m. The Pope took his leave, got into his car and returned to his vacation villa.
At 8 p.m. he would attend a choral concert in his honor.
Corriere delle Alpi, 21 luglio 2007
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 31/03/2008 07:16]