| International
[ 2013-03-19 ]
Scores gather at Vatican for inaugural Mass of Pope Francis Crowds of people including Political and religious
leaders from around the world have gathered at St
Peter's Square, in the Vatican to celebrate the
inaugural Mass of Pope Francis’ papacy.
The first pontiff from the Americas, Francis has
suggested he will take a more modest approach than
predecessors. He was elected by a conclave of
cardinals last week to succeed Benedict XVI, who
resigned on health grounds.
The BBC's Katya Adler, reports from the Vatican,
that nuns, priests and papal tourists have been
queuing for hours early on Tuesday, with some
pushing and squabbling as they waited for police
to open the barricades to St Peter's Square.
Papal ring
The Pope is scheduled to leave his temporary
residence at Casa Santa Marta and tour St Peter's
Square on a papal vehicle for about 15 minutes
before going to St Peter's Basilica to don his
vestments and stop at the tomb of St Peter.
He will then go into The Mass scheduled for 09:30
am (GMT) in the main square, co-celebrated by
around 180 clergymen, including Adolfo Nicolas,
the superior general of Pope Francis' Jesuit
order.
After delivering a homily, Francis will be
presented with his papal pallium made of lambs'
wool and the "fisherman's ring" bearing the image
of St Paul holding two keys.
The Pope has asked for some of the pomp to be
stripped away. The ring is second-hand and is made
of silver plated in gold, not the solid gold worn
by his predecessor.
Pope Francis has also chosen to keep the same coat
of arms he had as archbishop of Buenos Aires, with
the addition of the papal symbols - a gilded mitre
and crossed gold and silver keys.
The list of attendees for the Mass includes US
Vice-President Joe Biden and the spiritual head of
the Orthodox Church, Patriarch Bartholomew.
He will be the first Orthodox patriarch to attend
a papal inauguration Mass since the two branches
of Christianity split more than 1,000 years ago.
Thirty-three groups of guests from various
Christian Churches are expected in total,
according to the Vatican, along with 16
delegations from Jewish communities, as well as
representatives of other faiths.
Argentine vigils
Before his election last week, Pope Francis was
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires,
and Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de
Kirchner will attend the Mass.
Thousands of people held overnight vigils across
Argentina in preparation for Tuesday's Mass. The
event will be broadcast on giant screens set up
outside the cathedral on Plaza de Mayor, the main
square in Buenos Aires.
Correspondents say that in his first few days in
office, Pope Francis has been striking an informal
and spontaneous tone, preferring anecdotes and
off-the-cuff remarks to scripted speeches.
Speaking on Saturday, he emphasised that he wanted
"a poor Church, for the poor".
He is the first pontiff to take the name of
Francis, choosing it to honour St Francis of
Assisi, the 13th-Century son of an aristocrat who
spurned a life of luxury to live with and for the
poor.
At the end of a Mass he celebrated on Sunday, he
waited outside the church and greeted people as
they left, like a parish priest, asking many of
them to "pray for me".
Later, just a few minutes after delivering the
Angelus prayer, Pope Francis sent his first Tweet
as pontiff, writing: "Dear friends, I thank you
from my heart and I ask you to continue to pray
for me. Pope Francis."
Source - BBC
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