The Pope will have very few public appearances after Sunday’s recital
Thousands of pilgrims are expected to gather in St Peter’s Square in Rome for one of the final public appearances of Pope Benedict XVI.
He is stepping down on 28 February.
The Pope will recite the Angelus prayer and impart his blessing, before spending the rest of the week on a Lenten prayer retreat.
The Vatican has said it may hold the conclave that chooses the new pope early, so he can be in place before the start of Holy Week on 24 March.
Vatican accommodation
The Pope will appear at his study window overlooking St Peter’s Square at 11:00 GMT.
Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said: “The Pope is living through these days calmly even though they’re very emotional and packed.”
The BBC’s David Willey in Rome says that after the recital on Sunday the Pope plans to spend the rest of the week on a Lenten prayer retreat closeted inside the Apostolic Palace with senior cardinals and bishops.
What happens next
- 17-23 February – Lenten retreat, most normal Vatican functions suspended
- 24 February – Pope recites Angelus in public for the last time
- 27 February – Last weekly audience, in St Peter’s Square
- Evening of 28 February – Pope leaves office
- From 15 March – Conclave to elect new Pope
- How many Catholics are there in the world?
- How does a Pope resign from office?
He says the retreat will be a time of reflection about what Pope Benedict’s eight-year long papacy has achieved and what are the priorities now facing a Church whose credibility has been seriously harmed by clerical sex abuse scandals.
The Vatican said on Saturday it was considering calls from cardinals to hold the papal conclave earlier than planned, to have a pontiff in place before Holy Week, the most important event in the Christian calendar.
Under current rules, the vote cannot be held before 15 March, to give cardinals enough time to travel to Rome. The Vatican is examining the possibility of changing the rule.
After his spiritual retreat, the Pope will have very few public engagements.
He is scheduled to receive Italian President Giorgio Napolitano on 23 February.
The Pope will then celebrate Angelus again on 24 February and hold a final audience in St Peter’s Square on 27 February.
Pope Benedict will be flown to his summer residence of Castel Gandolfo on 28 February and remain there as accommodation in the Vatican is prepared.
At 19:00 GMT on 28 February he will no longer by pope.
One Vatican official told Reuters news agency it was “absolutely necessary” that Benedict lived in the enclave, “otherwise he might be defenceless”.
“He wouldn’t have his immunity, his prerogatives, his security, if he is anywhere else,” the official said.
There are concerns he could be cited in relation to legal cases connected with alleged sexual abuses by Catholic Church officials.
The 85-year-old pontiff announced his shock resignation last Monday, citing his advanced age as the reason for stepping down.
The last pontiff to resign was Pope Gregory XII, who quit in 1415 amid a schism within the Church.
Top Stories – Google News
No comments:
Post a Comment