There is a small candlelight vigil being held in St. Peter’s Square beneath the Holy Father’s window.
Some webcam shots:
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I am taking part from a distance. I have my candle lit before his portrait in my home.
Sede vacante begins now.
He will be truly missed. I don’t think most people have any idea of the incredible amount of his theological writings. I would not be surprised at all if he were to be named a new Doctor of the Church sometime in the future. :-)
Sede vacante begins tomorrow (Thursday), at 8pm in Rome (2pm ET / 11am PT). This vigil marks the beginning of the last 24 hours of the pontificate of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.
https://wdtprs.com/2013/02/solidarity-with-an-initiative-in-rome-of-support-for-benedict-xvi-on-27-feb/#comments
I am watching it off and on and can hear them singing hymns and chanting, “Viva il Papa!” Wish I was there but will be in spirit and in prayer.
Whoops – 1 day early!
I am following Geoffrey’s lead. I am joining the vigil from Vancouver, Canada. God bless Papa Benedict! I must admit that I have learned immensely from his teachings, and I fell that my faith has been renewed during his pontificate.
I wonder why the secular media seems to be mostly reporting that Pope Benedict said in his final address that he is “not coming down from the cross” rather than what most Catholic sources are reporting, “I am not abandoning the cross”.
Thank you for the idea, Geoffrey. We now have a lit candle and his photo on the center of our buffet. Question- can someone tell me if I need to put away the picture after tomorrow? I haven’t been back in the Catholic Church long enough to have had to change photos of our Holy Father. Thanks for any information.
“…can someone tell me if I need to put away the picture after tomorrow?”
When Blessed John Paul the Great died, I removed his picture from the wall but left it leaning up against it. I replaced it with a portrait of Pope Benedict XVI as soon as one was available. At 11am PT, I will remove it from the wall, but leave it leaning against it.
I am not sure what is customary regarding having old portraits of Popes. I am curious at to what they do in the offices of the Vatican, diocesan chanceries, etc.
I am excited about the prospects of a new pontificate, but I must say that seeing Pope Benedict go is almost like seeing a beloved member of the family go away. One of the greatest aspects of Catholicism is the fact that Catholics the world over are all joined together under a common visible head of the Church, the Supreme Pontiff. Without the leadership of a Supreme Pontiff, we can see how divisions in the Sister Churches and other ecclesial communities can harden and multiply until there is no longer unity in doctrine, etc. The ministry of Peter and Peter having a final say in Church matters is essential for unity and order. May God richly reward Pope Benedict XVI, still gloriously reigning, for his many years of service to Holy Mother Church. I look forward to diving even more deeply into his theological writings over the next decades. I pray that our next Pope will be firm in cleaning the filth from the Church, firm in promoting solid and traditional Liturgy, and effective in drawing non-Catholics to the True Faith.
Wait. What?? I’m a cradle Catholic and I’ve never heard of there being rules about having to take down pictures in our homes of a prior pope when a new one is elected. We just keep lining ’em up, one after the next. None of them ever get removed. The only time they get put away is when we move. Then, it sometimes takes a while before they make a return appearance…
OC-I am pretty sure there isn’t a rule. I don’t even have a picture. I do have several of his books, though!
Susan
As we keep vigil while we entrust our beloved Papa Benedict and the Church, to our Lord Jesus Christ and his Holy Mother, I read this and am praying for the same beautiful and very much needed qualities.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/deaconsbench/2013/02/pope-joe/
May the Holy Spirit inflame all the Cardinal electors to seek His will and to obey in humility His promptings. I pray too for their deeper conversion of mind, heart and spirit.
I took part in this vigil, we prayed the Holy Rosary for the Pope, it was a relatively small but faithful expression of prayers support and solidarity with His Holiness whom I am sure we are going to miss terribly.
“For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return.” (Isaiah 10:22)