LetsTravelRome

Anniversaries mark papal schedule after Easter.

Vatican, April 5th - Pope Benedict XVI will have a few days of rest immediately after Easter, as he marks the first anniversary of his election.

After celebrating Easter Sunday Mass in the morning in St. Peter's Square, and delivering his Urbi et Orbi message at noon, the Holy Father will travel to Castel Gandolfo, to spend a few days of rest there. On Easter Sunday, April 16, the Pope will also be celebrating his 79th birthday.

On Easter Monday-- Pasquetta or "Little Easter" in Italy-- the Pope will make a single public appearance at the papal summer residence, to lead the Regina Caeli: the midday prayer that replaces the Angelus during the 40 days of Eastertide.

Tuesday, April 18 will be the anniversary of the date when the cardinals opened the conclave that would elect a successor to Pope John Paul II. Cardinal Ratzinger was the principal celebrant of the Mass Pro Eligendo Romano Pontefice, after which the 115 cardinal-electors filed into the Sistine Chapel to begin their deliberations.

April 19, then, will be the first anniversary of the new Pope's election. Pope Benedict plans to travel by helicopter to the Vatican that day for his regular weekly public audience, returning to Castel Gandolfo in the afternoon.

On Friday, April 21, the Pontiff will hold a morning audience with the bishops of Ghana, who are making their ad limina visit to the Vatican. Later in the day he will return to the Vatican, again traveling by helicopter, to attend an evening concert celebrating the founding of the city of Rome-- according to legend, in 253 BC.

On April 22, Cardinal Angelo Sodano will be the principal celebrant at a Mass in the Vatican basilica for the Society of Jesus, marking the 500th anniversary of the birth of St. Francis Xavier. (Some commentators see it as significant that although the Pope will be at the Vatican, the Secretary of State will be preside-- arguably a sign of the Pope's dissatisfaction with the Jesuit order.) Pope Benedict will address the congregation at the conclusion of the Mass.

On Sunday, April 22, the Pope will hold his usual Regina Caeli audience. Then on April 24 he will mark the anniversary of his inaugural Mass as Roman Pontiff.

Lets-Travel-Rome.com

posted by Les Sheppard @ 10:16 AM