Question about Pope Benedict’s Holy Thursday adoration at Altar of Repose

Posted on 21 April 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

If any of you watched the Holy Father’s Mass at the Lateran, and perhaps recorded it, could you do me a favor?

I noticed that the Pope’s time of silent prayer before the Altar of Repose after Mass was especially prolonged.  I haven’t seen him stay that long, in years past, before the tabernacle after the Holy Thursday Mass.

How long did he kneel before the Blessed Sacrament?   I don’t mean by that question to imply that a shorter time would have been less meaningful or intense for the Holy Father.  It is simply that his time there was longer than I have seen before.

I ask this question in the context of my own reading of Pope Benedict’s sermon for the Mass of the Last Supper, which I presented and examined here.  He spoke of his own ministry as Peter.

Please share this post!
Share

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
This entry was posted in ASK FATHER Question Box and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

10 Responses to Question about Pope Benedict’s Holy Thursday adoration at Altar of Repose

  1. benedetta says:
    21 April 2011 at 1:17 PM

    It’s interesting that you say this Fr. Z because I also thought the same thing. And thanks for putting up the Holy Father’s sermon so quickly and for your comments along with it. It’s very helpful to be able to reflect on it, for me the words when I listen seem to fly by before I can think it through so I need resources such as this to consider what is said before prayer.

  2. vellemere says:
    21 April 2011 at 2:21 PM

    From the 2:16 mark until 2:23, according to my DVR recording.

  3. Henry Edwards says:
    21 April 2011 at 2:22 PM

    How long did he kneel before the Blessed Sacrament?

    After the Pope had knelt for 3 min 15 sec before the Blessed Sacrament in the Tabernacle with doors open, the deacon closed the doors. The Pope remained kneeling for another 3 min 45 sec before rising, a total of 7 minutes after he first knelt.

  4. bmadamsberry says:
    21 April 2011 at 2:49 PM

    Father,

    I believe you can find the video here: http://vod.vatican.va/messa21042011.mov

  5. bmadamsberry says:
    21 April 2011 at 3:05 PM

    My apologies, Father, it’s the wrong video.

  6. Massachusetts Catholic says:
    21 April 2011 at 3:18 PM

    Off topic but heartfelt: I fear the Holy Father sees the Cross rising before him.

  7. MarkJ says:
    21 April 2011 at 4:29 PM

    7 minutes… there’s that number again.

  8. Father G says:
    21 April 2011 at 6:11 PM

    @ bmadamsberry

    The website http://benedictxvi.tv/ posts complete videos of papal Masses and other events. They are downloadable.
    The Chrism Mass is already posted. The Mass of the Lord’s Supper should be posted soon.

  9. LoyalViews says:
    21 April 2011 at 9:10 PM

    Massachusetts Catholic, I thought the very same thing when good Fr Z said “He spoke of His own ministry as Peter”. It strikes fear to the very centre of my body to think this is true, but I don’t know. Maybe, His Holiness was just having a long day….or has been overtired the past few days. It may be that that’s the reason he knelt in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament for such a long time. God Bless!

  10. anna 6 says:
    21 April 2011 at 9:27 PM

    I agree that it was almost uncomfortably long…yet very powerful. He always seems so intense when he prays and it often seems that if he weren’t interrupted by Mons.Marini, he could go on indefinitely…

    I don’t think it is an ominous sign, but I agree that is is likely linked to his thoughts about his own ministry. In addition, I am sure that John Paul II has surely been on his mind of late.

    Similarly, non-Catholics and non-practicing Catholic friends were very moved by the length of time Benedict spent in prayer at Ground Zero three years ago.

Comments are closed.