Posted on 03/26/2013 11:48:33 AM PDT by NYer
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis has decided not to move into the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace, but to live in a suite in the Vatican guesthouse where he has been since the beginning of the conclave that elected him, said Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman.
"He is experimenting with this type of living arrangement, which is simple," but allows him "to live in community with others," both the permanent residents -- priests and bishops who work at the Vatican -- as well as guests coming to the Vatican for meetings and conferences, Father Lombardi said March 26.
The spokesman said Pope Francis has moved out of the room he drew by lot before the conclave and into Suite 201, a room that has slightly more elegant furnishings and a larger living room where he can receive guests.
The Domus Sanctae Marthae, the official name of the guesthouse, was built in 1996 specifically to house cardinals during a conclave.
Celebrating Mass March 26 with the residents and guests, Pope Francis told them he intended to stay, Father Lombardi said. The permanent residents, who had to move out during the conclave, had just returned to their old rooms.
Pope Francis has been there since his election March 13, taking his meals in the common dining room downstairs and celebrating a 7 a.m. Mass with Vatican employees in the main chapel of the residence.
He will be the first pope in 110 years not to live in the papal apartments on the third floor of the Apostolic Palace.
In 1903, St. Pius X became the first pope to live in the apartments overlooking St. Peter's Square. The apartments were completely remodeled by Pope Paul VI in 1964 and have undergone smaller modifications by each pope since, according to "Mondo Vaticano," a Vatican-published mini-encyclopedia about Vatican buildings, offices and tradition.
The large living room or salon of the apartment is located directly above the papal library where official audiences with visiting bishops and heads of state are held.
Pope Francis will continue to use the library for official audiences and to recite the Angelus prayer on Sundays and holy days from the apartment window overlooking St. Peter's Square, Father Lombardi said.
The apartments contain a chapel, an office for the pope and a separate office for his secretaries, the pope's bedroom, a dining room, kitchen and rooms for two secretaries and for the household staff.
When Pope Francis returned to the guesthouse after his election, Father Lombardi had said the move was intended to be short-term while a few small work projects were completed in the papal apartments. He said March 26 that all the work had been completed, but at least for the foreseeable future, Pope Francis would not move in.
The Domus Sanctae Marthae, named after St. Martha, is a five-story building on the edge of Vatican City.
While offering relative comfort, the residence is not a luxury hotel. The building has 105 two-room suites and 26 singles; about half of the rooms are occupied by the permanent residents. Each suite has a sitting room with a desk, three chairs, a cabinet and large closet; a bedroom with dresser, night table and clothes stand; and a private bathroom with a shower.
The rooms all have telephones and access to an international satellite television system.
The building also has a large meeting room and a variety of small sitting rooms. In addition to the dining room and the main chapel, it also has four private chapels, located at the end of hallways on the third and fifth floors of each of the building's two wings.
Ping!
Why not a room at the Italian version of the Motel 6? This well-publicized poverty bit is beginning to look contrived and ridiculous.
Our current POTUS could learn a lot from the new Pope.
But he and his family never will.
I would do the same. I dearly loved living in the dorms at college. After growing up in a quiet home, it was heaven to have so many friends just down the hall. I hope this works out well for Pope Francis.
I keep getting this mental picture of an ascetic monk.
Here I am, a "plebe" so to speak, walking around and I meet what was once my Pope ... what do I do with the conflict of my thoughts ?
No offense, but is he now my Pope in law or something ?
I`ll bet he`ll pay the rent, too.
What? No swimming pool, jacuzzi, weight room, pool table or continental breakfast?
The rooms all have telephones and access to an international satellite television system.
Since Vatican City is a separate country from Italy, wouldn't a set of rabbit ears be an "international television system"? :-)
He’s the Jimmy Carter of the Vatican
Maybe let Benedict move back into the empty papal apartment.
Excessive humbleness can be another form of vanity. Especially PUBLIC humbleness.
He seems like my grandfather. No matter where he was sitting, even an uncomfortable folding chair, when someone offered him a better seat he would always say "No, I'm good right here." Sometimes we would have to make sure the comfy chair was the only one available when he came in.
In the LA archdiocese, Cardinal Mahoney needed a whole house for himself, in his retirement, when he is not even doing anything, and after his scandals cost so much of our money.
by contrast, I think Francis’ inclination to be with other people, and use facilities that are already there and ready, is a welcome contrast.
Also, I suspect he will find out a lot about what is really going on at the Vatican in the dining hall. When I was working as an attorney, it was very enlightening to have lunch with the clerks and mail room people sometimes.
Ditto!
You wouldn't think that "well-publicized" and "poverty" would go together. My theory is that the unused funds are going towards even more publicity.
I'm going to have to steal that.
********************************
Interesting. I guess it's very possible that Pope Francis may be accustomed to having people around him, just as you said.
If he's happier where he is, I have no problem with this at all.
Why not a room at the Italian version of the Motel 6? ....He didn’t want to cheat his kids from a $378,000 stay in Jamaica?...Oh, wait...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.