The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, went back to his old house today, the Quirinal Palace.
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Where does Fr. Z get his information from ? Was it an official visit ? I don’t take the Italian newspapers, so I’ve not read the news. And I’ve searched high and low through Italian journalists’ blogs. Nothing there.
Pope Benedict XVI paid an official visit to the Quirinale shortly after his election, didn’t he ?
And I know John Paul II has visited more than once. Pius XII was the first to visit, in, I think, 1939.
His Holiness should’ve brought all his furniture back with him.
Sorry.
I forgot to say I couldn’t get the CTV link to play, so I don’t know what it said.
Dr. Wright: How about the website of the Holy See?
How about Corriere della Sera?
How about La Stampa? La Repubblica? RepubblicaTV? Il Messaggero? Il Giornale? Quotidiano? Radio Vaticana? Sky? ANSA?
L’Osservatore Romano:
These are just a few places anyone can check at any time.
Of all the ministers, only Silvio Berlusconi kissed the Pope’s ring.
Father,
What kind of soldiers are the ones on horseback in the last video,
escorting the roman Pontiff?
Thanks!
I don’t know why it should strike me now, but it does: what a blessing modern media CAN be. Think of the centuries upon centuries when the overwhelming majority of the faithful never saw a pope, never knew what he looked like, never knew what he sounded like. And yet, they remained faithful to him and loved him. For us, our love and devotion can be greatly deepened by knowing our popes in a more personal way.
That being said, this “shrinking” of our world can also lead to a loss of wonder and awe. I’m reminded of a great little scene from BRAVEHEART where William Wallace and his soon-to-be wife are sitting atop a vast rocky landscape – a stunning panorama itself. And Wallace tells her he learned Latin in Rome. Instantly you see the excitement in her at the mere mention of the name Rome and she says, “You’ve been to Rome? What’s it like?” That jumping of the heart at the sound of the name and the long-traveling pilgrim’s first glimpse upon arriving in the Eternal City is something that, though not entirely lost, is significantly dulled by modern communication and high-speed travel.
Sorry, I know that was a lot to take from a rather mundane papal video.
LoyalSon,
They are the Corazzieri, a special unit of the Carabinieri tasked with protecting the Italian President. They are a sort of the Italian President’s equivalent to the Pope’s Swiss Guards.
Father – for what it’s worth, the video player used for the videos in this posting DO NOT automatically play and retain their ability to stop & pause, unlike those referenced in the discussion on your “new layout” posting of the other day. God bless you, Father!
Many thanks, Father.
In fact, I got the link working. It was an official visit, then.
As to all the subsequent information you have posted, I can only say “mille grazie”. And that’s a very interesting article by Frederico Valiante in L’Osservatore Romano. (I’ve not read the weekly edition yet.)
God bless Fr. Z and his wonderful blog.
I wish I understood Italian. Reading the comments helped a bit, especially to figure out who one of the others was (the Italian president) !
MMcThomas,
I wish I had reliable access to the internet. I am feeling rather marooned right now. And Fr. Z has provided a mine of information on the Pope’s state visit to the President of Italy. You can’t read Italian ? Well, sorry to hear that, of course. I’m away from the TV and foreign newspapers here, and I can’t get a decent internet connection to read the Italian. It’s like being stranded on a desert island. We’ve all got problems !
Did anyone else notice that the Holy Father has on an antique stole? Did it perhaps belong to Bl. Pio IX, the last pope to reside at the Quirinal? Continuity!
Why is it that the Pope never seems to bless people with the sign of the cross anymore when he passes through a crowd? He just looks like he is waving; I recall the same was true of his predecessor. Contrast Pius XII tracing precise crosses in the air as he moved.