Doors of Castel Gandolfo closed. Credit: EWTN.
Posted on 02/28/2013 2:04:29 PM PST by NYer
.- With the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday evening, the Swiss Guards have left their posts and sealed the gates of the former pontiff's temporary residence of Castel Gandolfo.
A crowd of Catholic faithful gathered Feb. 28 outside the papal vacation spot. At 8 p.m. Roman time, a loud bell rang eight times as they shouted “Viva il Papa!” or “Long live the Pope!”
The Swiss Guards entered Castel Gandolfo and hung up their ceremonial weapons – called halberds – on the inner walls as there is no longer a sitting Pope for them to protect.
Vatican gendarmes dressed in black uniforms have relieved the guards. The doors of Castel Gandolfo have been sealed, symbolizing the vacancy of the See of Peter and the lights of the papal residence in Vatican City are dark.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has exchanged his red papal shoes for simple brown ones given to him on his recent trip to Leon in Mexico. He now wears a simple white cassock without the mozzetta – the short cape that covers his shoulders.
Benedict XVI traveled to Castel Gandolfo by helicopter and car two hours before his resignation took effect. Hundreds of Catholic faithful greeted his arrival to hear his final words as pontiff.
“I’m simply a pilgrim that is starting the last stage of his pilgrimage on Earth,” he remarked, “but I would still like with my heart, with my love, with my prayer, with my reflection, with all my inner strength to work for the common good of the Church and of humanity, and I feel very supported by your sympathy.”
“Let’s go ahead together with the Lord for the good of the Church and of the world,” he said before making his final apostolic blessing.
“Thank you and good night. Thanks to all of you,” Pope Benedict said before departing from the Castel Gandolfo balcony.
Now that he has resigned, the former Pope will live at Castel Gandolfo for two months before moving to a monastery inside Vatican City. In the upcoming days, 115 cardinals will gather at the Vatican to elect his successor.
Real Christians don’t bait.
Hi Ann...big fan of yours (another old-timer here). Don't get peeved at me, please, but Mormons say if you don't include the Book of Mormon, you don't have a complete Bible. I have a lot of respect for the churches (all of them. They save souls), and they all have exclusions of other faiths, especially when it comes to the texts. We're all believers of God here, as opposed to the worshipers of the moon-god allah.
I know I wish they would stop attacking protestants at every turn
________________________
I have no idea. But just because someone else is tasteless doesn’t mean you have to eat garbage too.
Every church says they are the one true church
You're welcome to your opinion, but it's a opinion plenty of people don't agree with. Some of them seem to both learned and holy to me. Why is your opinion better than theirs?
As far as "sparing you," I think all of us should pray very hard to be spared.
Mad Holy Rollers on the march again speaking tonques gibberish, why not make it a Caucus thread.
do you think the first Popes, a couple centuries after Peter had all the traditions, superstitions and symbolism of the present Catholic Church?
I don’t have anything against the Catholic Church, they do a lot of good stuff. I am just sick and tired of the “one true church” crap.
May I remind you that Bendict XXI was also a head of state.
How many presidents or prime-minsters have you seen in armored cars?
Please check your fact before posting.
God bless His Holiness, Benedict XVI, Pope Emeritus.
**Dolan`s a hypocrite and an idiot-
he belongs in a gun-free zoned nunnery**
Are you playing God on judgment day?
Or an idiotic marxist.
Yes. Some wag once postulated that because all churches seem to condemn non-adherents to their particular faith to Hell, we're all going to Hell. I think that's not the case, but all do claim to be the one true faith.
I'll bet there may actually be about 6 Billion (and counting) "true faiths." I'm like Laz, in a way...I believe them all. Except the ones who think it's OK to crash jet airliners into skyscraper full of innocent people. I don't believe them. They are going to Hell, and 72 virgins that look like Helen Thomas.
What about the pomp and circumstance of a Presidential inaugaration? Dance and all?
Get over it. The Pope Emeritus was the head of a state. Did you forget that?
Geron. I don't know what religious sect you are, but if you aren;t Catholic, the you are splintered from the ORIGINAL Church and you were founded by a MAN.....if you tell me what Christian sect you belongto, I cantell you what man started it. ALL Protestant religions started AFTER Henry the VIII and Martin Luther...before that all WesterChristians were Catholic. I don't think think can dispute that.
If you are a BAPTIZED CHRISTIAN, you are my BROTHER.
THAT ia directly from Jesus....do you have that in your Bible??? i really want to know.
Funny you should ask me of all people that. Yes, yes, it was disrespectful to the threadstarter. Sincere questioning is one thing. That was quite another.
All of them.
That is what I mean.
Jesus saves. My personal walk with Jesus doesn’t seem to require a massive bureaucracy. It requires me and it requires my faith in HIM.
That is all.
I consider churches to be messengers of the Gospel, I don’t think any church officials are any closer to God than anyone in the pews. They need to hear the message just as much as we do.
Sometimes I get the feeling that some people worship a CHURCH instead of Jesus/God. That is not Christian at all.
Well, mission accomplished at trashing a catholic thread here. I was looking forward to reading about what people thought about the actual article rather than playing go fetch with anti-Catholics.
With all due respect, I really don;t pay much attention to a religious sect that started 150 yars ago by a man....and one that believed in polygamy. I think Mormons are fine people, like Jews, Hindus, Buddhists etc......but the Jews....Orthodox Jews are the only other people that believ in the SAME GOD that I do.
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