Catholic Fire

February 28, 2013. (Romereports.com) It was the first time ever a Pope's farewell was televised live. Benedict XVI left his home inside the Vatican joined by cardinals Angelo Comastri and Agostino Vallini. At about 5 p.m., before getting in the car that would take him to the helicopter, he said goodbye to the staff at the Vatican.   At 5:05 p.m., as the bells at St. Peter's Basilica rang out across the Square, the helicopter took off towards Castel Gandolfo. The ride took Benedict XVI across the Eternal City, taking a detour along some of the major landmarks, like the Colosseum and the Basilica of St. John Lateran. Upon arriving at Castel Gandolfo, the Pope was welcomed by Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, the bishop of Albano, as well as the town mayor. A small caravan took him to the the Apostolic Palace at Castel Gandolfo at about 5:30 p.m. Thousands of pilgrims, donned with banners, thank you signs and flags, cheered on the last few words of Benedict XVI as Pope. BENED...

I am blessed to have personally met Pope Benedict on my pilgrimage to Rome in February, 2006 . If you asked him if he remembered me, I would be amazed, as there were approximately 1800 people in his audience that day – although it was considered to be a “private” audience with the Community of St. John. As an oblate with the Community, I was part of that large “private” audience, who were also celebrating the 30 th anniversary of the founder of the Community of St. John – Fr. Marie-Dominique Philippe. While this day may be a blur in the mind of Pope Benedict today, it is a day that I will remember for the rest of my life. We were up at the crack of dawn and entered St. Peter’s Basilica three hours early to get the best possible view of the Holy Father. However, my view seemed to be slightly hindered by a pillar. I tilted my head from side to side as I stretched my upper body, hoping just to catch a glimpse of our new pope. I could see the papal chair, but that darn pillar wa...