Vatican City, 1 March 2013 (VIS) – The director of the Holy See Press
Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., related some information regarding
the Sede Vacante and the first hours of Benedict XVI after having left
the pontificate in a press conference this afternoon.
Fr. Lombardi spoke this morning with Benedict XVI's personal
secretary, Archbishop Georg Ganswein, prefect of the Papal Household,
who told him that, yesterday, His Holiness, who was very calm and
serene, had watched several news programs and expressed his appreciation
for the work of the journalists as well as for the participation of
those who had assisted in his departure from the Vatican and his arrival
at Castel Gandolgo. After a brief walk through the Apostolic Palace he
went to bed and slept very well.
Today, as always, His Holiness celebrated Mass at 7:00am and then
prayed the Liturgy of the Hours. In the afternoon he has another walk
planned at 4:00pm, through the gardens of the Castel Gandolfo Apostolic
Palace, to pray the rosary. Benedict XVI brought with him various books
on theology, history, and spirituality. At the moment he is reading from
a book by the Swiss theologian Hans Urs von Balthazar.
Yesterday at 8:00, Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciu, substitute of
the Secretariat of State sent a letter to all the diplomatic
representatives to the Holy See informing them that, during the period
of the Sede Vacante, all matters will be dealt with by the substitute
and by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano.
Moreover, this morning, the papal apartments in St. John Lateran were sealed.
Source:
VIS - Vatican Information Service
