NEWS ABOUT BENEDICT

Yes, I heard it in the news too.
You are right, benefan.
And I can't imagine Easter when "somebody else" says the Urbi et Orbi.

There are a lot of good articles that are tributes to our Papa's legacy and I'm saving lots of them in my "Pope Emeritus" folder in my PC.  Helps to ease the loss. Too bad some of them couldn't have been written in support of him during his pontificate!



Pope Benedict XVI vs. Secularism

by Benjamin Wiker Saturday, Mar 09, 2013 6:47

I think it will be some years before we understand how great a legacy Pope Benedict XVI will be leaving us.
Part of that legacy to be especially treasured will be the Pope’s reflections on the dangers of the increasingly aggressive secular state.

His warning: In the West, and now especially in the United States, the state is increasingly pushing a secular agenda. Pushing that agenda through means driving the Church, not just out of the public square, but out of the culture. The threat to religious liberty is very, very real.

In January 2012, Pope Benedict addressed U.S. bishops from Baltimore, Washington and the Archdiocese for the Military Services during their ad limina pilgrimage to Rome, telling them, "It is imperative that the entire Catholic community in the United States comes to realize the grave threats to the Church’s public moral witness presented by a radical secularism which finds increasing expression in the political and cultural spheres. The seriousness of these threats needs to be clearly appreciated at every level of ecclesial life. Of particular concern are certain attempts being made to limit that most cherished of American freedoms: the freedom of religion."

At about the same time that the Pope was warning the U.S. bishops (and, indirectly, all Americans) about the threat to religious liberty by radical secularists, the Obama administration’s Department of Health and Human Services was busily illustrating it.
That very January, the secretary of the HHS, Kathleen Sebelius, delivered a mandate informing all religious institutions — especially Catholic universities and hospitals — that they would have to provide contraceptives, abortifacients and sterilization in their insurance plans.

The HHS mandate is not an isolated incident, but part of a larger, longer campaign by the secular-minded in Europe and America to shrink the presence and influence of Christianity in the world until it finally disappears from history, thereby reversing the effects of the Church’s 2,000-year evangelization.

The Pope’s call for a New Evangelization — a redoubling of Pope John Paul II’s efforts — is made in the face of this very real threat. The fate of the Church in the third millennium depends in large part on our response to the active secularization that has done so much to erase Christianity during the final two centuries of the second millennium.
In order to respond prayerfully, we need to comprehend the real scope of the secular threat.

Benedict is a man deeply read in history, and so he understands very clearly that aggressive secularization has been gaining political ground since the horrors of brutal de-Christianization during the French Revolution. It happened in France; it happened in Russia and the Soviet satellites; it happened in other ways, with the imposition of the pseudo-religion of Nazism that took over his homeland, Bavaria; it continues today in all of Europe’s liberal democracies.

And, as the Pope warned, secularization has come to the United States of America.
Take down the Ten Commandments. No Bible reading in schools. No public prayer. Clear away the crèche. No "Merry Christmas." Affirm "gay marriage." And, as we’ve seen with the HHS mandate, "Thou shalt participate in the sexual revolution."

The message of all such radical secularism is clear: "You will bend the knee before the state."

The secular state often puts the message in more inviting terms, terms which should sound like a very familiar temptation: "If you will bend the knee before me, then I will give you all the splendor and pleasures of the world."

Secularism is, by definition, the affirmation of this world and the rejection of the next. It is historically rooted in a materialism that denies the existence of God, the angels, the soul and the afterlife. Its fundamental "this-worldliness" is the source of secularism’s antagonism to the Church.

As Pope Benedict has warned, this antagonism is often disguised as a beneficent affirmation of plurality. But when contemporary secularists preach tolerance, they practice what the Pope has called a "negative tolerance," a "new intolerance," complete with "standards of thinking that are supposed to be imposed on everyone" — what we in America call "political correctness."

The result, the Pope has noted, is actually the "abolition of tolerance, for it means, after all, that religion, that the Christian faith, is no longer allowed to express itself visibly."
That result is, of course, the real aim of secularism: the removal of Christianity from culture.

The seemingly beneficent affirmation of plurality has, as Pope Benedict noted, a deeper manifestation — the promotion of relativism. Relativism says with a kindly smile, "Let us affirm all views as equally good; all ways of living as equally admirable; all thoughts as equally true."

But again, hidden beneath the extended velvet glove of affirmation is often an iron hand ready to impose what the Pope has rightly called "a dictatorship of relativism."
As he warned the conclave that would end up electing him to the papacy, "We are moving toward a dictatorship of relativism which does not recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal one’s own ego and one’s own desires."

That "egoism" is inherent in the secular denial of God and the materialist reduction of good and evil to personal physical pleasure and pain.
With no God to define good and evil, people become their own little gods, creating their own moral rules that maximize this-worldly satisfactions.

In response, Pope Benedict has issued a call "for an engaged, articulate and well-formed Catholic laity, endowed with a strong critical sense vis-à-vis the dominant culture and with the courage to counter a reductive secularism which would delegitimize the Church’s participation in public debate about the issues which are determining the future of American society."

That call was given directly to the visiting U.S. bishops in January 2012 as an essential task of the New Evangelization, one that also includes "a convincing articulation of the Christian vision of man and society" as the true alternative to radical secularism.

Benjamin Wiker, Ph.D., is a speaker and author

flo_51, 05.03.2013 14:01:

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we all love him enough to let him go but how hard it is 

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Special Edition on Benedict

March 10, 2013

National Catholic Register has a special online edition of articles about Pope Benedict. It's called, "Pope Benedict XVI: A Legacy of Truth in Love."

You can access it here:

www.ncregister.com/site/article/pope-benedict-xvi-a-legacy-of-truth-in-...

Thank you, benefan! I saw this edition offered on the Register Newsletter for purchase, but didn't realize it was also online.

Beautiful!

Benedict Praised for Holy Saturday Broadcast of Shroud (825)
The March 30 broadcast will be only the second time the cloth, venerated as the burial garment of Jesus, has been aired on television.



by CARL BUNDERSON/CNA/EWTN 03/11/2013 Comments (1)

Image visible on a photographic negative of the Shroud of Turin.
– Photo by Giuseppe Enrie, 1931/Wikipedia
DENVER — Benedict XVI's decision to allow a TV broadcast of the Shroud of Turin on March 30, Holy Saturday, has been lauded by experts for highlighting the link between the shroud and the death of Christ.
“Pope Benedict XVI, when he visited the shroud on pilgrimage in 2010, spoke about the shroud in terms of Holy Saturday,” John Jackson, co-founder of the Turin Shroud Center of Colorado, told Catholic News Agency March 7.
“From that vantage point, that all his remarks were made relative to Holy Saturday, it is fitting that the broadcast happens on Holy Saturday.”
The shroud is venerated as the burial cloth of Christ and bears a mysterious image of a man who suffered in a manner consistent with crucifixion. It is kept in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy, and is rarely available for viewing.
The extremely limited access to seeing the shroud gives the TV broadcast particular significance. It will be shown internationally by the Italian public service broadcaster Rai 1.
On March 1, Archbishop Cesare Nosiglia of Turin announced that, as part of the Year of Faith, he had gotten the consent of Benedict XVI, prior to his resignation, to have a worldwide TV exhibition of the shroud.
“The shroud, of course, reminds us of the passion, death and burial of the Lord, and then to Holy Friday, the day in which the Church remembers and celebrates the passion of Christ,” reflected Archbishop Nosiglia.
“Holy Saturday is a day of silent prayer and meditation on the Lord's death, but it is also a day of joyful waiting of the light of the Resurrection that will explode in the great celebration of the Easter vigil.”
The shroud, he noted, “is a witness of this double mystery: It brings us back to the darkness of the tomb, but it also opens the way to receive the light that from it will emerge, in the event of the Resurrection.”
The Holy Saturday broadcast of the shroud images is only the second ever, with the other occurrence taking place in 1973. “This is in honor of the 40th anniversary of the first TV exposition,” Jackson explained.

Sign of Victory
In his March 1 statement, Archbishop Nosiglia said that “the shroud is not a sign of defeat, but of victory, of life over death, of love over hatred and violence, hope over despair. ... The face of the Man of Sorrows, which is the face of every man on the earth, represents his suffering, his death; it speaks to us of love and gift, of grace and forgiveness.”
He added that the shroud is a reminder of “the proclamation of Christ dead, buried and risen again,” which is at the center of the Christian mystery.
The TV exhibition will last about an hour and will be part of a celebration led by Archbishop Nosiglia.
Holy Saturday, the archbishop observed, is “a day of silence, prayer, contemplation of the mystery of the passion and death of the Lord, but also a day of expectation and openness of heart and life in the light of the Resurrection.”
Archbishop Nosiglia voiced his hope “that this worldwide event will lead, in the hearts of many people who will see it, a little light and peace in these complex times and give strength and hope to many sick and poor, but also families and people in need.”


Read more: www.ncregister.com/daily-news/benedict-praised-for-holy-saturday-broadcast-of-shroud?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NCRegisterDailyBlog+National+Catholic+Register#When:20... 09:14:01#ixzz2NFQc0Cfc

We have to console ourselves with "looks back" by some on Papa's brilliant pontificate as many come to realize what a treasure we had ... from the Benedetto XVI Forum:


Joseph Ratzinger:
His heart was 'Christified'
during two decades of calumny
while he was Prefect of CDF

Editor's Note: Many things have been said about Benedict XVI since his election. It seemed important to us to allow our readers to make their own judgment. Father Ide, who lives in Rome, tells us how he experienced the event and the immense hope that fills his heart.

I think I will remember all my life the moment when Benedict XVI was elected. I was in my office which overlooks St. Peter’s Square. It was around 4:30 p.m. I had to make a long-distance call, and the operator said:”We have a new Pope!” -“No!”- “Yes!”…Well in that case, my call could wait…

I looked out the window. The police were clearing the sagrato, the space right in front of the entrance to St. Peter’s, where important celebrations take place. The crowd was swelling fast. Then, the bells of St. Peter’s started ringing, driving away all my doubts. After 4 ballots and within less than 24 hours, a new Pope had been chosen. The Piazza filled up with unprecedented speed: businessmen, familes, children, all Rome seemed to arrive, running to St. Peter's.

16:40 The window on the Loggia of Benedictions had hardly started to open when a cry of joy ran through the crowd.

What followed, you have all seen. First, we found out who the new Pope is – “Josephum…Ratzinger”. And then the name he had chosen, “Benedictus XVI”.

Nevertheless, I felt myself oddly ambivalent. On the one hand, I thought, “How well-prepared this new Pope is!” On the other hand, I could not bring myself to rejoice. For me, Cardinal Ratzinger was and could only be the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, chosen by John Paul II to help him guard the treasury of the Faith, though with an incomparable openness to doctrinal debate.

I also remembered some opinions that had been reported of his years as Archbishop of Munich: that he was more a doctor rather than a pastor. But most of all, I imagined all the negative reactions that would come and I was saddened in advance.

Unfortunately, I was not wrong. The same evening, the false judgments, the caricatures, the unfair criticisms started to air. We have since heard everything said against him, including the unimaginable and the unsupportable. But these criticisms require our discernment, because they mask a diversity of different internal attitudes towards Joseph Ratzinger.

At one extreme, we find a hatred that is destructive and lying, that dares to say Benedict XVI had colluded with Nazism, a charge that amounts to the most inadmissible calumny. In his admirable autobiography, which has been translated in French, Ratzinger tells how at age 17, he refused, despite the jeers of his friends, to join the SS militia by affirming that he planned to become a Catholic priest.

The more moderate feed their anger by trite arguments that “he is too conservative.” Behind all this misinformed and sectarian anger, one senses fear.

One person told me: “I love the Church. I loved John Paul II. I did not have any a priori objections to Benedict XVI as I did not know anything about him. On the contrary, when I saw his face on television, I liked him at first sight. But afterwards, all that I have heard of him makes me afraid that the Church will lose the beautiful openness that his predecessor had brought to it.” We then talked about the new Pope’s personality, and I could see confidence gradually replacing my friend’s fear.

But there is also sadness. We need some time to mourn John Paul II and to fully welcome his successor without comparing them. The Vicar of Christ is not Christ, and if Benedict XVI does not have all the qualities of John Paul, the reverse is equally true.

Some anecdotes often reveal the man far more than long discourses. For instance, a group of American pilgrims now recall that one day, at St. Peter’s Square, they asked a priest to take their pictures. He did so, gladly, and they asked him to pose with them. Imagine their surprise to see that the obliging priest in the picture is now the Pope!

After the Pope’s inaugural Mass, a simple man, who says he barely knows how to write, said wondrously: “I understood everything he said in his homily. And yet, it lasted all of 35 minutes.”

A theologian on the prestigious International Theologic Commission, of which Cardinal Ratzinger was president [ex-officio, as CDF Prefect], recalls: “It often happened that we would lose ourselves in endless debates that were increasingly complex. After listening, the Cardinal had his say, offering his point of view which, almost always, reconciled opposing views, and even better, clarified them.”

And someone told me: “When the time comes that the world will say goodbye to Ratzinger, the high and the mighty will be surprised to see they will be surrounded by beggars and hobos, those whom the Cardinal greeted each day when he met them on the street, stopping to exchange a few words and to hand them alms.”

How better to describe the man’s simplicity, his concern for the poorest, his openness, his exceptional intelligence? These are qualities that the faithful began to discover in the first few days of his Papacy. But they were always there, even when he was a cardinal.

There are those who are concerned about his “intransigence.” But they mistake his sense (and defense) of the truth for intransigence. Today, to speak of love and solidarity and compassion will elicit only unanimity. But some contrast what they take to be all-tolerant love with a truth they consider to be “exclusive”. But isn’t truth the greatest good needed by the soul? Benedict XVI, who in his inaugural homily recalled at length the significance of the pallium, does not separate love and truth.

There are those who are unhappy about his “conservatism.” But didn’t Christ himself say that "not the smallest letter…will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished”(Mt 5, 18)? And who will dare to say that Christ is “conservative”?

There are those who are concerned about his stand in matters of ecumenism and inter-religious dialog. It is to forget that Ratzinger worked alongside Protestant theology faculties during his university career, that he sent his first Papal letter to the Jewish community in Rome, that he speaks modern Greek fluently, that he is a friend of the Patriarch of Moscow, that in all the liturgical celebrations since the death of John-Paul, the Vatican has allowed [to use John Paul’s metaphor] both lungs of the Church, the East and the West, to breathe freely.

I think hope will prevail over any fears if we adopt a resolutely theological attitude towards the election process itself at the Conclave. First, it required a two-thirds majority. And it required that each cardinal, before placing his ballot into the urn, pronounce the following oath: “I take as my witness Christ who will judge me, that I cast my vote for the person who I judge should be elected.”

Benedict was elected by a great majority of his brother cardinals from all over the world. The fact was more evident and significant because the process was quite short.

Afterwards, a passage from his homily on April 24 gave me a sense of joyous hope about the new Pope: “I do not need to present a program of government…My true program of government is not do my will, not to pursue my ideas, but, with the whole Church, to listen to the word and the will of the Lord and to let myself be guided by him in such a way that it will be God himself who will guide the Church at this hour in our history.”

A man endowed with all the gifts he has, who puts himself entirely in the hands of God – that is a winning formula! After more than 20 years of testing and calumnies of all sorts that have come his way, he has learned to pardon unconditionally. A gentle and humble man, his heart was “Christified” in his previous office, preparing him in turn for his new and crushing mission as Vicar of Christ.

Finally, how can one not think that John Paul II must have prayed for his successor, and prayed in particular for this successor? Benedict has said he feels his predecessor’s hand holding him firmly by the hand. From the day after he was elected, my heart has felt much lighter – now it is in a state of thanksgiving and deep confidence.

The past has proven that our predictions often go wrong. Who would have thought that John XXIII, whom everyone said would simply be a “transitional” Pope, would call the Second Vatican Council?

Moreover, the history of the past two centuries shows that the Church has often been blessed with Popes who have led incontestably saintly lives.

Now we have a successor of our sweet and beloved Papa Benedict.
I wish him all the best!
I am glad it is not an arrogant prince of the church who became pope.

Thank God for Benedicts wise decision and the conclave.
I will always love Benedict, but I am glad Francis is such a lovable man.

Francis pays tribute to Benedict, reflects on age

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press
March 15, 2013

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis paid a heartfelt tribute Friday to his predecessor Benedict XVI, saying his faith and teaching had "enriched and invigorated" the Catholic Church and would remain its spiritual patrimony forever.

Francis offered the respects during an audience with the cardinals who elected him to succeed Benedict, whose resignation set in motion the extraordinary conclave that brought the first prelate from the New World and first Jesuit to the papacy.

Francis, 76, tripped and stumbled when he greeted the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, at the start of the audience, but he recovered immediately.
Speaking at times off the cuff, Francis said Benedict had "lit a flame in the depths of our hearts that will continue to burn because it is fueled by his prayers that will support the church on its missionary path."

"In these years of his pontificate, he enriched and invigorated the church with his magisterium, his goodness, guide and faith," Francis said. Pausing for effect, he added: "His humility and his gentleness."

Francis has said he wants to visit Benedict at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo where he has been living since Feb. 28, when he became the first pope in 600 years to resign. No date has been set for the visit. Francis is due to be installed as pope on Tuesday.
The relationship between the two pontiffs has been the subject of intense speculation given the novelty of soon having a retired and reigning pope living side by side. Some analysts have expressed concern about the influence Benedict and his loyalists might wield over the new pontificate, or worse how certain factions in the church might try to undermine Francis' authority by continuing to use Benedict as their reference point.

The presence of Benedict's closest aide, Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, at all of Francis' inaugural events has confirmed some crossover; Gaenswein is also the head of the papal household, meaning he has an important role to play in the transition and Francis' day-to-day schedule.

In fact, on Friday, Gaenswein accompanied Francis to the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace, which has been sealed since Feb. 28. The seals were broken, Francis took the keys and opened the door, and Gaenswein hurried in to turn on the lights.

During Friday's audience, cardinals lined up and warmly greeted Francis, exchanging physical embraces with the new pope. U.S. Cardinal Timothy Dolan grasped Frances' shoulder as he chatted. Most if not all the cardinals then went to chat with Gaenswein, perhaps to inquire about Benedict.

On the first day of his pontificate, Francis's personal and liturgical style couldn't have come off as more different than that of Benedict: He went to his hotel to pick up his luggage, greet the staff and pay the bill, then delivered an off-the-cuff homily reminding his cardinals of the need to make the church strong.

The very pastoral acts were typical Francis. Benedict, while similarly humble and gentle, spent 30 years inside the Vatican, first as its doctrine chief and then as pope, where his homilies were dense theological treatises and his Masses were formal affairs in the pre-Vatican II style.

In his remarks Friday to cardinals, Francis noted that a good half of the men in the room were elderly, and he urged them to share the wisdom of their years with the young.
"Let us give this wisdom to young people; like good wine, it becomes better with age," he said. "Let us give to young people the wisdom of life."

Meeting with Benedict

Pope Francis will meet with Benedict next Saturday, according to an Associated Press story that I just posted on the News about the Church thread. Although the meeting will be private, hopefully some photos will be released to the media and maybe a few words about what the meeting was about.

Just saw this among some comments on the Catholic News Service site. I'm sure this will be of interest to some of you.


How do we write to Benedict 16 now? Is it the Castle Gandolfo address?

Carol Glatz (of CNS), on March 18, 2013 at 3:01 pm said:

That address should be good until he transfers to the Vatican. People can try Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, 00040 Castel Gandolfo, Rome Italy.

BENEDETTO XVI

PALAZZO APOSTOLICO

VIA PALAZZO PONTIFICIO

00040 CASTEL GANDOLFO (ROMA)

Thanks so much, Gabriella, for the address. Here's the latest on Benedict. I'm so glad Pope Francis is keeping in touch with him and speaking so well of him so often. On Saturday they will have lunch together at Castel Gandolfo. Maybe we'll see some pics then.


Pope Francis calls Benedict to wish him happy feast day

Vatican Radio
March 20, 2013

Pope Francis called Emeritus Pope Benedict to wish him a happy St. Joseph’s feast day March 19th. The Argentine Pope, who placed the call to his German predecessor Joseph Ratzinger shortly after 5:00 pm Rome time Tuesday, once again expressed gratitude to the emeritus pope for his long time service to the Church. The two enjoyed a lengthy and cordial conversation. Since his resignation February 28, Emeritus Pope Benedict has been staying at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, in the Rome countryside until restoration work on his new residence in the Vatican is completed. Benedict has followed with “intense participation” the events of these days, particularly Tuesday morning’s installation liturgy. He assured his Successor that he would could continue to pray for him.

Benedict XVI and Francis’ historic lunch

Saturday 23 March will mark another first in the history of the Catholic Church as the world watches a Pope go to lunch with his successor, organised by Fr. Georg. As for the protocol, there is none, since this is a first

GIACOMO GALEAZZI
VATICAN INSIDER
March 22, 2013

“No one knows what protocol to follow as there are no precedents,” the Curia explains. Archbishop Georg Gänswein, who works closely with both these men dressed in white will definitely play a key role in this historic event. Tomorrow’s lunch will be a sort of handover of power that has not been witnessed in the whole of Christianity’s two thousand-year old history. It is also impossible to know what the two will talk about given the context which brought them together and united them (but has also divided them) for at least eight years: Bergoglio was Ratzinger’s main rival in the 2005 Conclave which elected Benedict XVI. But Ratzinger’s resignation and replacement by the very man who was once his “rival” in the race for the papacy, is a real turning point in terms of Church government. “Benedict XVI and Francis are intensely in sync: both a deeply spiritual figures, whose relationship with life is completely rooted in God,” Jesuit fortnightly journal Civiltà Cattolica stressed.

“These deep roots are reflected in Benedict XVI’s timid and gentle demeanour and in Francis’ sweet spontaneity which he manifested in the very first words he pronounced as Pope: “Good evening”, defining cardinals as “brothers”, asking people for a “favour” and eloquently defining them as “the people”. And the favour he asked of the people was that they pray for him. He then took his leave as a bishop, with the words “Good night and sleep well!” “Pope Francis is history’s first Jesuit Pope. But he is also the first non European Pope of this modern age. And he is the first to choose the name Francis. The Jesuits were founded by Ignatius of Loyola, to serve the Pope in his mission; to be sent to whichever corner of the world needed their assistance most urgently. The Pope’s service is based on the fact that he has the most universal vision of all others and knows what the needs of the universal Church are, wherever these arise. Calling a Jesuit to the Petrine Ministry means electing him to embody the universal ministry at the highest level,” Civiltà Cattolica wrote. “Pope Francis is a leader who has faced some tough moments. His simplicity, humbleness and discretion are combined with strong organisational and leadership skills.”

It is not known for sure whether Pope Francis will ask his predecessor for advice, particularly as he is now busy deciding the future of the Curia. The event will not be broadcast live but there will be photos and a possibly a short video, given the historical dimensions of the event: two popes will sit down to lunch together. The fact that one of them is actually a Pope and the other just a Pope Emeritus, in light of his shock decision to resign from the papacy, makes little difference, as they are both Vicars of Christ on Earth. Never has a Pope met, spoken or lunched (as will happen tomorrow in Castel Gandolfo) with a predecessor. What better photograph could one ask for than the fact that not even the papacy can be considered a definitive status any longer but is subject to the decisions of men, just like everything else?

Tomorrow, ten days after Bergoglio’s election to the papacy, Pope Francis will visit his predecessor Benedict XVI in Castel Gandolfo. Bergoglio will leave the Vatican by helicopter – paradoxically the same way Benedict XVI got to Castel Gandolfo on 28 February when he officially stepped down from the papacy - at 12:00 local time and will land about a quarter of an hour later, a short distance away from the papal residence in the Alban Hills , where the Pope Emeritus has been living since the beginning of the sede vacante period. There, the historic lunch between the two men will take place. Once it is over, Pope Francis will return to the Vatican. Bergoglio had wanted to wait a day or two after the inauguration of his Petrine Ministry before he visited Ratzinger, whom he has already telephoned twice, once just after his election on 19 March and again to wish him for his name day. Joseph Ratzinger watched the mass for the inauguration of Francis’ pontificate on television.

Rats. If the Vatican sticks to the agenda below, all we might see is a photo. I was hoping for a bit of video and a summary about the meeting. But maybe we'll get more than they are saying. We have to stay hopeful.


HISTORIC MEETING: POPE FRANCIS TRAVELS TO CASTEL GANDOLFO TO MEET WITH BENEDICT XVI

Vatican City, 23 March 2013 (VIS) – At noon today, the Holy Father Francis travelled by helicopter to Castel Gandolfo to meet and have lunch with Pope emeritus Benedict XVI. Accompanying Benedict XVI to greet Pope Francis on his arrival were Bishop Marcello Semeraro of Albano, Italy, and Dr. Saverio Petrillo, director of the Pontifical Villas.

This is the first time that the Church is experiencing a meeting between the Pope and an Emeritus Pope. Even though the two have spoken by telephone several times since Pope Francis' election as the 266th Pope ten days ago, this is the first time that they are meeting face to face. Although live coverage of the historic event will not be provided, the Press Office of the Holy See has announced that there will be an official photo of the two together in the library of the Castel Gandolfo Apostolic Palace. (When available, the photo will be published on the VIS blogsite at: www.visnews-en.blogspot.it/)

After meeting privately and sharing lunch, the Holy Father Francis is scheduled to return to the Vatican this afternoon, again by helicopter.

Lombardi: Castel Gandolfo meeting a moment of profound communion

Vatican Radio
March 23, 2013

Speaking exclusively to Vatican Radio, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., reveals the details of this morning’s historic encounter between Pope Francis and Benedict XVI, Pope Emeritus, an encounter he has described as a moment of profound and elevated communion:

“The helicopter landed in Castel Gandolfo heliport, at about 12:15 and the car with the retired Pope approached the helicopter landing site. The Holy Father alighted: he was accompanied by the Substitute [Secretary of State] Msgr. Becciu, by Msgr. Sapienza and Msgr. Alfred Xuereb. As the Pope alighted, the Pope Emeritus approached him and there was a moving embrace between the two.

Then, there followed brief greetings with those other present- the bishop of Albano and the Director of the Pontifical Villas, Mr. Petrillo – they all got in the car: Pope Francis on the right, then place reserved to the Pope, and the Pope emeritus on the left. Msgr. Georg Gänswein, who is Prefect of the Papal Household, travelled in the same car. And so, the car brought the two protagonists of this historic meeting to the elevators and they went up to the apartments and immediately went to the chapel for a moment of prayer.

In the chapel, the Pope emeritus offered the place of honor to Pope Francis, but he said: "We are brothers," and wanted them to kneel together in the same pew. After a short moment of prayer, they then went to the private library where, at about 12:30, the private meeting began. This is the Library where the Pope normally receives important guests in Castel Gandolfo. Pope Francis brought a beautiful icon as a gift for the Pope emeritus. It was an icon of Our Lady of Humility, as a gift for Benedict XVI's great humility. Their discussions ended at 13.15, lasting about 45 minutes. It should be noted, with regard to the clothing, which actually - as we mentioned earlier - the Pope emeritus wears a simple cassock white, without a sash and without a mantella: these are the two details which distinguish his clothing from that of Pope Francis who wears a mantella and sash.

The two Secretaries, and Msgr. Georg and Msgr. Xuereb, are expected to eat lunch with them. Thus the totally private and confidential meeting ended with the discussions in the Library. The Pope Emeritus will also accompany Pope Francis to the heliport, when the time comes for his return. Let us remember that this is not their first meeting: it is their first face-to-face meeting, but Pope Francis had many times already addressed his thoughts to the Pope emeritus, during his first appearance on the central Loggia, and then two personal calls: the night of his election and St. Joseph’s Day.

Thus, the dialogue had already started, even though the the personal, physical meeting had not yet taken place. Let us also remember that the retired Pope had already expressed his unconditional reverence and obedience to his successor at his farewell meeting with the Cardinals, February 28, and certainly in this [morning’s] meeting - which was a moment of profound and elevated communion –will have had the opportunity to renew this act of reverence and obedience to his successor, and certainly Pope Francis renewed his gratitude and that of the whole Church for Pope Benedict’s ministry during his pontificate”.

Fr. Lombardi excluded the possibility of Pope Francis and Benedict XVI appearing at the balconey together to greet the public.

Pope Francis tells Benedict: "We're brothers"

By NICOLE WINFIELD and PAOLO SANTALUCIA
Associated Press
March 23, 2013

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (AP) — Pope Francis traveled Saturday to this hill town south of Rome to have lunch with his "brother" and predecessor Benedict XVI, a historic and potentially problematic melding of the papacies that has never before confronted the Catholic Church.

The two men dressed in white embraced warmly on the helipad in the gardens of Castel Gandolfo, where Benedict has been living since he stepped down Feb. 28 and became the first pope to resign in 600 years.

In a series of gestures that ensued, Benedict made clear that he considered Francis to be pope while Francis made clear he considered his predecessor to be very much a revered brother and equal. They clasped hands repeatedly, showing one another the deference owed a pope in ways that surely turned Vatican protocol upside down.

Traveling from the helipad to the palazzo, Francis sat on the right-hand side of the car, the traditional place of the pope, while Benedict sat on the left. When they entered the chapel inside the palazzo to pray, Benedict tried to direct Francis to the papal kneeler at the front of the chapel, but Francis refused.

"No, we are brothers," Francis told Benedict, according to the Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi. He said Francis wanted to pray together with Benedict, so the two used a different kneeler in the pews and prayed side-by-side.

Francis also brought a gift to Benedict, an icon of the Madonna, and told him that it's known as the "Madonna of Humility."

"I thought of you," Francis told Benedict. "You gave us so many signs of humility and gentleness in your pontificate." Benedict replied: "Grazie, grazie."

Benedict wore the simple white cassock of the papacy, with a quilted white jacket over it to guard against the chill, but minus the sash and cape worn by Francis. Walking with a cane, he looked frail compared to the robust 76-year-old Argentine.

Outside the villa, the main piazza of Castel Gandolfo was packed with well-wishers bearing photos of both popes and chanting "Francesco! Francesco!" But the Vatican made clear they probably wouldn't see anything.

The Vatican downplayed the remarkable reunion in keeping with Benedict's desire to remain "hidden from the world" and not interfere with his successor's papacy. There was no live coverage by Vatican television, and only a short video and still photos were released after the fact.

The Vatican spokesman said the two spoke privately for 40-45 minutes, followed by lunch with the two papal secretaries, but no details were released.

All of which led to enormous speculation about what these two popes might have said to one another after making history together: Benedict's surprise resignation paved the way for the first pope from Latin America, the first Jesuit, and the first to call himself Francis after the 13th century friar who devoted himself to the poor, nature and working for peace.

That the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was second only to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in the 2005 conclave that elected Ratzinger pope has only added to the popular imagination about how these two popes of such different style, background and priorities might get along.

Perhaps over their primo, or pasta course during Saturday's lunch, they discussed the big issues facing the church: the rise of secularism in the world, the drop in priestly vocations in Europe, the competition that the Catholic Church faces in Latin America and Africa from evangelical Pentecostal movements.

During their secondo, or second course of meat or fish, they might have gone over more pressing issues about Francis' new job: Benedict left a host of unfinished business on Francis' plate, including the outcome of a top-secret investigation into the leaks of papal documents last year that exposed corruption and mismanagement in the Vatican administration. Francis might have wanted to sound Benedict out on his ideas for management changes in the Holy See administration, a priority given the complete dysfunctional government he has inherited.

Over coffee, they might have discussed future of Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, Benedict's trusted aide who has had the difficult task of escorting his old pope into retirement and then returning to the Vatican to serve his successor in the initial rites of the office.

Gaenswein, who wept as he and Benedict made their final goodbyes to staff in the papal apartment on Feb. 28, has appeared visibly upset and withdrawn at times as he has been by Francis' side. The Vatican has said Francis' primary secretary will be Monsignor Alfred Xuereb, who had been the No. 2 secretary under Benedict.

Both Xuereb and Gaenswein were present for lunch. Start to finish, the meeting lasted about 2 ½ hours, with Benedict escorting Francis back to the helipad for the ride back to the Vatican.

Benedict's resignation — and his choices about his future — have raised the not-insignificant question of how the Catholic Church will deal with the novel situation of having one reigning and one retired pope living side-by-side, each of them called "pope," each of them wearing papal white and even sharing the same aide in Gaenswein.

Before Benedict announced his decision to be known as "emeritus pope," one of the Vatican's leading canon lawyers, the Jesuit Rev. Gianfranco Ghirlanda, penned an article suggesting that such a title would be inappropriate for Benedict since in renouncing the papacy he had "lost all the power of primacy" conferred on him by his election as pope.

The alternate title — which Vatican officials had suggested would be likely be chosen — was that of "emeritus bishop of Rome," since bishops routinely retire and are known as "emeritus bishops."

But Benedict opted instead for "emeritus pope," ''Your Holiness" and also chose to keep wearing the white cassock of the papacy, leading to questions about both his own influence on the future pontiff and whether Catholics more favorable to his traditional style might try to undermine his successor's authority and agenda by keeping their allegiance to the old pope.

Clearly aware of that potential, Benedict in his very last meeting with his cardinals on Feb. 28 pledged his "unconditional reverence and obedience" to the then-unknown future pope, who was nevertheless in the room.

Lombardi said he understood Benedict repeated that pledge of obedience to Francis on Saturday. Asked how the popes addressed one another, Lombardi demurred, saying he didn't think they addressed one another as "Your Holiness" or "Pope," saying the exchange was too familiar and warm for such titles.

After a few months in Castel Gandolfo, Benedict is to return to the Vatican to live in a converted monastery in the Vatican gardens, just a short walk from St. Peter's Basilica and the shrine devoted to the Madonna where Francis went to pray on one of his first walks as pope.

Despite Benedict's expressed intent to fade away, Francis on virtually every occasion afforded him has made clear he has no intention of letting his "venerable predecessor" disappear from memory: Francis called Benedict right after his election, urged prayers for him in his first papal Masses, and called the former Joseph Ratzinger to congratulate him on the feast of St. Joseph on March 19.

The Vatican has similarly made clear that the ex-pope hasn't completely lost interest in the matters of the church, following on television Francis's inaugural appearance on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica after his election, when he charmed the crowd with a simple "Brothers and sisters, good evening."

The two men couldn't be more different in style and background: The Argentine-born Francis has made headlines with his simple gestures — no papal regalia, simple black shoes, paying his own hotel bill — and basic message that a pope's job is to protect the poor.

As archbishop of Buenos Aires, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio worked in the slums, celebrating Masses for prostitutes and drug addicts. He plans to celebrate Holy Thursday Mass this week at a juvenile detention center, where he will wash the feet of 12 inmates in a show of humility echoing that of Jesus.

The German-born Benedict is an academic, one of the world's leading theologians who spent more than 30 years in the frescoed halls of the Vatican where he was its chief doctrinal watchdog and then its pope. His primary concern was to remind Christians in Europe of their faith and bring back a more traditional Catholic identity, and with it many of the brocaded trappings of the papacy. His Holy Thursday Masses included the traditional foot-washing, but it involved clerics at the St. John Lateran basilica.

While there is a difference in style, there is a "radical" convergence between the two men in terms of their spirituality, according to Civilta Cattolica, the Italian Jesuit magazine whose articles are approved by the Vatican before publication.

"They are two figures of the highest spirituality, whose relationship with life is completely anchored in God," the magazine wrote. "This radicalness is shown in Pope Benedict's shy and kind bearing, and in Pope Francis it is revealed by his immediate sweetness and spontaneity."

Thanks, Flo, for posting that photo. I saw two other photos too but I can't log into my photo hosting service for some reason. Of all times for this to happen. However, I saw a link to a video that was taken showing several scenes from the meeting of the two popes. It is very sweet. Here's the link:

video.repubblica.it/dossier/il-nuovo-papa/a-castel-gandolfo-lo-storico-incontro-tra-i-due-papi/12328...

Oooooooh, thanks a lot for the photo, flo and benefan, thanks for the link of the video.

That is soooooo cute, my gosh.
It is much more than I ever had expected.
Papino looks so..so fragile, so cute and so little, my gosh, I am overwhelmed....



This is a historical meeting and we a witnesses, at least on TV.

Unprecedented image in two thousand years of Catholic history

The similarities between Bergoglio and Ratzinger outnumber the differences

ANDREA TORNIELLI
VATICAN INSIDER
March 24, 2013

The images of the two popes (the newly appointed and the Emeritus) hugging, praying together side by side, amiably chatting and exchanging presents are destined to make history. Never before has a pope resigned due to old age and remained to live near his successor, still wearing the papal attire. Never before has the Bishop of Rome had an Emeritus nearby to count on and to ask for advice.

The image of the two popes next to one another, dressed in the same garments (the short cape and belt worn by Bergoglio, and not by Ratzinger, are but inconsequential details perhaps not even worthy of mention) presents a brand new, unprecedented reality, which we can however accept as “normal” thanks to the sensitivity and humility of both protagonists.

In the last few days many commentators have highlighted the new elements that characterize the style of the new pope and the break from his predecessor. On one side, there are people who are worried because the new pope has gathered a lot of consensus among believers and non, as if the only true Catholic inclination ought to be the one that causes discontent, conflict, arguments and dislikes; people who emphasize that Francis is not a “pauperist”, that he draws lines both politically and doctrinally any time poor people are mentioned as if Jesus had never spoken about them. Some people point out that the new pope is against abortion (it would have certainly been news if he had been for it). On the other side there are those who underline the novelty of the new pope, not so much in order to describe Francis’ deeds or to focus on reality, but in order to draw a comparison with his predecessor.

A few hours after he was elected pope Francis was already at the centre of gossip. According to a rumour, right after the election, he had refused to wear the red velvet mozzetta with the (fake) ermine hem and had said to the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations Guido Marini: “ Wear that yourself, the charade is over”. That would have been an unkind remark to the master of ceremonies, a downright rude one in fact. The pope never said those words. Francis simply said to Marini as he offered the mozzetta “ I would rather not”. There was no mention of a charade, nor humiliation for the obedient master of ceremonies.

Gossip over continuity and break based on mozzettas, ermine furs and red shoes is threatening to overshadow the reality of true continuity between Benedict XVI and Francis. Theirs is a continuity that finds proof in several passages, in small deeds and stresses that were seen and heard during the first few days of this pontificate: the humility shown by both, their shared knowledge that the Church is ultimately led by God, their sense of non protagonism. After the election Benedict XVI said that “ everywhere the pope goes he shines the light of Christ, not his own”, Francis too, when talking to journalists, remarked that the protagonist is Christ not the pope.

Another element that the two popes have in common is their awareness of the need to safeguard the environment and all creation, of which mankind is the apex; in fact Benedict XVI had earned the nickname of “Green pope”; not to mention the concern over career-ambition and the “ spiritual worldliness” within the Church. Only people who have forgotten Benedict XVI’s profound homilies on these matters during consistories and during the ceremonies to appoint bishops might think that there is no harmony between the two popes. Only people who do not know Ratzinger’s writings on liturgy might believe that his philosophy would centre around lace, ermine fur and evermore sophisticated parameters rather than the simple encounter with the mystery of Christ. Some time ago, during a TV show, Bergoglio said that mass is not “ a gathering of friends who come to pray and eat bread and wine… To what great extent a priest needs to prepare to celebrate the holy communion !”

The exceptional footage shot yesterday at Castel Gandolfo shows the pope Emeritus pointing out to his successor the papal kneeling stool and then trying to stand aside, but being prevented from doing so by Francis who took him by the hand to pray side by side because in his eyes they are “brothers”. Those who saw the footage perfectly understand the mutual consideration and harmony that exists between these two men. Those who heard Francis’ voice as he gave his predecessor the picture of Our Lady of Humility and said “ I thought of you because during your pontificate you gave us many examples of tenderness and humility” will not hesitate in recognizing humility as one of the common denominators between the two popes.

The images from Castel Gandolfo prove wrong both those people who claim discontinuity, lampooning the Emeritus in order to promote the new pope, and the self-styled Ratzinger-fans who, in order to exalt Benedict XVI, have tried to discredit his predecessor John Paul II (Wojtyla) and his successor pope Francis (Bergoglio).

In the modesty of an embrace both popes seem to suggest that they are not the protagonists and that the task of the Church, as they have remarked many times, is that of a mirror reflecting the light of God.

Currently, both are gathered together, as brother Georg Tuesday made the trip to Rome (Castel Gandolfo).
Hope that together with his beloved brother, Pope Emeritus Benedetto can return to new forces.
I pray for both of you!

Vatican Denies Benedict XVI Has Serious Illness

by Edward Pentin
National Catholic Register
April 10, 2013

The Vatican reiterated Wednesday that Benedict XVI does not have any specific illness apart from the problems associated with old age after a Spanish author claimed the Pope Emeritus must have a grave illness after suffering a “dramatic” deterioration in his health.

Paloma Gomez Borrero, a correspondent at the Vatican, said Benedict XVI’s health had “dramatically diminished over the past 15 days,“ adding that one can only conclude “he must have something very serious.”

“We won't have him with us for very much longer,” she said in a report in the Spanish newspaper ABC. “It is unlikely that the Pope Emeritus will appear again in public,” she said. Gomez made the comments on Tuesday, at the launch of her new book on the conclave called “From Benedict to Francis”.

The journalist added the Pope’s decision to resign was a "very bitter chalice" for him and that he showed "great humility" in doing so.

But speaking to the Register Wednesday, Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi said that Benedict “has no illness” and that “the problems are those connected with age.” His comments are consistent Vatican statements on this issue since Benedict announced his resignation on February 11.

Many had noticed how much more frail the former Pope looked when he met Pope Francis last month, and that he had appeared to have aged considerably in the three weeks he had been out of office.

Vatican doctors had noted with concern how he had become much thinner back in January, before he resigned. He had also begun to tire quickly and his personal physician, Dr. Patrizio Polisca, said his blood pressure was having strong fluctuations. He advised the Pope to avoid air travel.

The Vatican revealed in February that Pope Benedict had a pacemaker fitted a number of years ago and his biographer, Peter Seewald, confirmed he was unable to see out of his left eye, creating problems when walking, especially up and down steps.

Benedict XVI has used a walking stick for the past couple of years because of pain in his right hip and ankle.

In response to the speculation, the Vatican has regularly insisted that Benedict, who turns 86 next week, is not suffering from anything other than the physical trials of old age. So far, his plans to move into a converted convent in the Vatican at the beginning of May remain unchanged.


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Vatican spokesman denies report that Benedict XVI is ill

Vatican City, Apr 10, 2013 / 12:28 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi says that contrary to a report in the Spanish daily El Mundo, the Bishop-emeritus of Rome, Benedict XVI, is not suffering from any illness.

The report in El Mundo by Rocio Galvan quotes statements made by Spanish Vaticanista Paloma Gomez-Borrero in Madrid during the presentation of her most recent book.

“Benedict XVI has something very serious. In 15 days his physical condition has deteriorated tremendously, that’s the news I have,” Gomez-Borrero said.

In comments to CNA on April 10, however, Fr. Lombardi underscored that Benedict XVI “does not have any illness” and that “this has been certified by his doctors.”

He said he was saddened by Gomez-Borrero's comments and that the Spanish journalist, whom he has known for many years, “has begun to speculate after seeing images of a tired Benedict.”

“But to say that he has an illness is foolish. There is no basis for this,” the spokesman said.

“As we all know, Benedict XVI led a very engaged pontificate at his age, and therefore he is enduring the aches and pains of an elderly person who has worked very hard,” Fr. Lombardi added.

Benedict XVI was Pope for eight years and resigned just shy of his 86th birthday. During his pontificate, he made the same number of trips that Blessed John Paul II did in same span of time but at a much older age.

He currently resides at the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo but will return to the Vatican to live once renovations at the former monastery of Mater Ecclesia are completed in May.

Pope Francis has visited Benedict XVI and spoken to him on several occasions by telephone since his election. The two maintain a cordial and close relationship.

Ratzinger's health gives cause for concern

Pope Francis is kept constantly informed about the state of his predecessor's health, while Fr. Lombardi has denied rumours about Benedict suffering from any chronic illnesses

GIACOMO GALEAZZI
VATICAN INSIDER
April 11, 2013

Concern has spread about Ratzinger's apparently rapidly deteriorating health. “Benedict XVI is not suffering from any specific chronic illness; his health problems are purely to do with old age,” the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi stressed. His statement, released to Catholic news agency Aci Prensa, came in response to rumours that have been circulating in the Spanish press about the Pope Emeritus suffering a serious illness. In recent pictures Ratzinger appears visibly thinner and physically weaker.

According to information from within the Curia, Pope Francis was apparently also told about his predecessor's health conditions by Georg Gaenswein, who reassured him. Benedict's increased general fragility is apparently not due to any specific illnesses, recent routine medical check ups confirm. Physical and nervous deterioration are normal consequences of the stressful period that ensued Ratzinger's resignation as Pope. He does not need to be hospitalised for the time being and as scheduled, the former Pope is to return to the Vatican next month, to enter the monastery that has been prepared for him, in the Vatican gardens.

According to Spanish journalist Paloma Gomez Borrer, the Pope Emeritus' health has allegedly deteriorated significantly in this recent period. Meanwhile, Francis continues to show great consideration for his predecessor as he prepares to make changes to the Church's leadership. He is considering a number of candidates for the position of Secretary of State, but it is likely he will choose an Italian. Cardinal Fernando Filoni was Benedict XVI's favourite for this role, although he was always fervently opposed to Bertone's substitution during the Vatileaks storm. Ratzinger had apparently considered the current prefect of the all-powerful Propaganda Fide dicastery and previously (from June 2007 to May 2011) substitute for General Affairs in the Secretariat of State, as a possible candidate for the position of Secretary of State.

The Pope Emeritus expressed this preference during his historic meeting with the new Pope on Saturday 23 March at the papal residence at Castel Gandolfo. Filoni, 67, has frontline international experience in very difficult situations given the role he held as Apostolic Nuncio to Iraq during the Iraq war and then as Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines. Time will tell whether Bergoglio will take his predecessor's choice into account. As photographs attest, Benedict XVI handed a hefty pack of documents and two sealed envelopes to Francis which were clearly to do with his papal ministry.

Bergoglio himself wanted the pictures of the box on the table to be taken: a symbol of the handover of the Church's leadership from one Pope to another. Ratzinger's word means a great deal to Francis. And he is naturally also concerned about his predecessor's health.

Not exactly "news" but ....


Vatican Gardens Provide Prayerful Oasis

Myriad Blooms and Trees Offer Visitors Colorful, Fragrant and Joyous Vision of Church Unity

BY Elizabeth Lev
National Catholic Register
4/13/13

Recently, the world spotlight has been focused on the Vatican and the tight knot of buildings squeezed into its walls. Between St. Peter’s Basilica, the Nervi audience hall, the Domus Sanctae Martae and the Sistine Chapel, Vatican City has seemed like a condensed cluster of structures.

Behind those lofty brick or travertine facades, however, lies the oasis of the Vatican Gardens, where Pope Benedict XVI will live out his days in a renovated monastery. The gardens were already dear to the pope emeritus, who referred to them as his "vital space" for prayer.

The Vatican city state comprises 104 acres, of which 57 are destined for gardens. This division is much like the synthesis of the active and contemplative in the Christian life, where the busy existence in the world is fortified by quiet times of prayer.

The gardens climb the steep Vatican hill, amid winding paths and terraced overlooks. The fortunate souls who have enjoyed access to the garden are often surprised to discover how taxing a climb that hill can be.

Pope Emeritus Benedict will retire to a modern building, the convent of Mater Ecclesiae, founded in 1994 by Blessed Pope John Paul II to house a community of religious sisters who would pray for the pope and his mission. The Spartan structure humbly stands apart from its larger, more glamorous neighbors.

St. Peter’s Basilica soars 200 yards away, dwarfing the little brick box, while a few yards up the hill a stretch of wall dating from the reign of Leo IV in 850 underscores the recent construction of the monastery. The building next door, once known as the "cottage in the wood," is the splendid Casina Pio IV, built by one of the last great Renaissance popes in 1564. Pius IV Medici hired architect extraordinaire Pirro Ligurio to construct this white marble and stucco confection, replete with fountains, mosaics and picturesque terraces. Today, this exquisite building functions as the Vatican think tank, housing the Pontifical Academies of the Sciences, Social Sciences and Thomas Aquinas.

It seems doubtful that Pope Emeritus Benedict was looking for splendor and antiquity after eight years in the Apostolic Palace and filling the 2,000-year-old shoes of Peter the Fisherman.

The beauties of the Vatican Gardens are not found in its palaces or villas, but in the fruits of man’s cooperation with nature in shaping the land and helping it to prosper.

Dubbed by some as the "Green Pope," Benedict spoke frequently of the relationship between nature and man. During World Youth Day 2007, Benedict explained, "Experience shows that the disregard for the environment always harms human coexistence and vice versa. It becomes more and more evident that there is an inseparable link between peace with creation and peace among men."

Benedict’s new home stands at the crossroad of the three types of gardens in the Vatican: the subtle symphony in green of the Italian gardens, where jade boxwood twists into labyrinths against the emerald swath of lawn; the studiously varied flora of the French garden; and the deceptively "natural" spontaneity of the English garden.

Twenty-seven gardeners oversee the many varieties of trees and flowers, taking pride in a Japanese maple that sits next to a gnarled olive tree planted in 1995 to commemorate the first anniversary of Vatican diplomatic relations with Israel. A bunya-bunya from Australia stands by a guava tree from Brazil and a North American magnolia. These myriad plants blooming side by side offer a colorful, fragrant and joyous vision of the unity of the universal Church.

Amid the flowering trees and broad greensward, the artistry of man also adorns the site. The gardens are punctuated with fountains, 100 in total, ranging from the spectacular pseudo-grotto built by Pope Paul V in the 17th century to a charming little basin with perching bronze frogs nestled by the heliport. Pope Paul V was so enamored of constructing water works that he earned himself the nickname "Fontifex Maximus" instead of the usual title of "Pontifex Maximus." The most recent fountain to grace the gardens is the St. Joseph Fountain, given to Pope Benedict XVI in 2010 by the Patrons of the Vatican Museums in honor of his given name.

Many visitors have been delighted to find a reproduction of the Grotto of Lourdes on the highest plateau of the gardens. Built in 1902, the altar is the original one from Lourdes, which was given to Pope John XXIII.

The active and contemplative life of the garden is perhaps best expressed in two statues placed in these grounds. The first is a moving marble statue of St. Peter sitting in chains awaiting his imminent crucifixion. This 1887 work by Amalia Dupre was the first sculpture by a woman to be placed in the Vatican. A few short yards away, high atop a column, stands a bronze statue of St. Peter that marks the geographical center of the Vatican Gardens. Dupre’s statue shows Peter’s quiet and prayerful preparation for martyrdom, while the lofty image of the Prince of the Apostles surveys the fruit of his witness, overlooking Vatican City, Rome and beyond.

POPE FRANCIS WISHES BENEDICT XVI HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Vatican City, 16 April 2013 (VIS) – This morning, on the occasion of the birthday of Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, the Holy Father Francis began the celebration of Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, inviting all those present to pray with these words: “Today is Benedict XVI's birthday. We offer the Mass for him, so that the Lord be with him, comfort him, and give him much consolation.”

During the morning, Pope Francis then made friendly a phone call to Benedict XVI to wish him a happy birthday as well as to extend his greetings and best wishes to his brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, who has been at Castel Gandolfo for several days, staying precisely to celebrate in a familial and fraternal way, today's occasion and who will in turn celebrate his saint's day, St. George, this coming 23 April, just as Pope Francis will.


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Portrait of Pope-emeritus Benedict XVI unveiled on his birthday

Vatican Radio
April 16, 2013

Pope-emeritus Benedict XVI is celebrating his 86th birthday on Tuesday. The German Embassy to the Holy See will be hosting a party which will unveil a new portrait of the former pontiff painted by German artist Michael Triegel, who is known as “Papstmaler”, or “Pope Painter”. The painting is on permanent loan to the Embassy. A previous portrait of Benedict XVI by the same artist can be found at the Institute Benedict XVI in Regensburg.

Ratzinger celebrates first birthday as Pope Emeritus

ANDREA TORNIELLI
VATICAN INSIDER
April 16, 2013

Benedict XVI turned 86 today, celebrating his first birthday as Pope Emeritus in the solitude of Cstel Gandolfo, surrounded by his small “family”, made up of his secretary Georg Gänswein, the four Memores Domini sisters, the secretary Sister Birgit and his brother, Georg Ratzinger.

Pope Francis made a cordial telephone call to him, repeating the wishes he sent him during mass. He also sent his wishes to Georg Ratzinger for his name day on 23 April (the two share the same name, the Pope's own name being Jorge). Georg is currently in Castel Gandolfo. Happy birthday messages started arriving a few days ago, from all over the world. The messages sent were not just from members of the clergy and political leaders, but also from thousands of ordinary people; simple faithful. Ratzinger spoke of these “simple people” in his last public audience in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday 27 February. These people, he said, “do not write to me as if they were writing to a prince or to someone great whom they don't know, for example” but “as brothers and sisters or as sons and daughters.”

Here “one is able to see first hand,” Benedict XVI observed, “what the Church really is: not an organisation, not a religious or humanitarian association, but a living body, a communion of brothers and sisters.” Pope Francis, his successor, who paid him a visit on 23 March, phoned him, as he had done on his name day, the Feats of St. Joseph. During the mass celebrated for his predecessor in the chapel of St. Martha's House this morning, Pope Francis said: “May the Lord be with him and give him ease and much comfort.”

Sociologist Massimo Introvigne presented a study carried out by CESNUR (Center for studies on New Religions) on the Francis effect and the increase in the number of confessions given over the Easter period. In his presentation, he said that “naturally, the Francis effect is also the Ratzinger effect: many have spontaneously said they were moved and shaken by Benedict XVI's resignation.” Ratzinger's resignation highlighted his humility in taking a decision in the knowledge that he no longer had the physical strength needed to continue his ministry as Bishop of Rome.