Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Religion: Vatican reveals Pope Benedict's new title

Rome (CNN) -- With only two full days left of Pope Benedict XVI's papacy, more details emerged Tuesday of what the future holds both for the retiring pontiff and the cardinals who will choose his successor.

The pontiff will keep the name Benedict XVI and still be addressed as "his holiness" once he retires, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told reporters at the Vatican.

He will also be known as pope emeritus, emeritus pope or Roman pontifex emeritus.

The guidance clears up questions about how Benedict -- the first pope to resign in almost 600 years -- should be addressed as he moves into a life of seclusion and prayer after his Thursday resignation.
Benedict will hold his final general audience Wednesday, for which 50,000 tickets have been given out, Lombardi said, though many more people than that could show up.

Benedict will arrive in his Popemobile, which will drive around St. Peter's Square among the faithful before the pope gives the address. He won't give the usual brief personal greetings to people afterward but will meet delegations of heads of state in Vatican City later.

Benedict will meet with the cardinals who are already in Rome on Thursday morning.

The 85-year-old will then be flown by helicopter to Castel Gandolfo, the pope's summer residence near Rome, in the afternoon. The church bell will toll and he will make his very last public appearance, greeting crowds from a balcony there.

At the moment that Benedict's papacy ends, at 8 p.m. local time, the Swiss Guards -- the soldiers who for more than five centuries have protected the pope and his residence -- will leave the gates of Castel Gandolfo. He will from that point have Vatican police protection instead.

Benedict will stay there until work to restore a monastery within the Vatican grounds is completed later in the spring.


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Vatican reveals Pope Benedict's new title

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Jai & Sero

Jai & Sero

Our family at home in Toronto 2008

Our family at home in Toronto 2008
Amit, Heather, Fuzz, Aj, Jiv, Shiva, Rampa, Sero, Jai