On first day, pope prays and pays bill at priests' residence
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - On his first day as head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis went to the basilica of St Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore) to pay tribute to the Virgin Mary. On his way back, the pope went to the priests' residence where he lived before the conclave to pick up his belongings and pay the bill, "to set a good example," Vatican Press Office director Fr Federico Lombardi said. On this occasion, he declined to use the official papal car (number plate SCV1), which is usually followed by a line of cars, and opted instead to travel on a Vatican police vehicle.
All this is indicative of a style of simplicity, which Fr Federico Lombardi described in today's press briefing, but which everyone already saw last night when Pope Francis appeared without the mozzetta, the short elbow-length cape that covers the shoulders, but with the pectoral cross he always wore as bishop.
"We were struck by the bishop of Rome's pastoral attitude; especially, his connection to the great community of Rome," Fr Lombardi said, referring here to the prayer the new pope asked the faithful to say for him before his blessing. Likewise, "The name Francis has a clear evangelical ring to it," the director added.
That is not all. After his election in the Sistine Chapel, Pope Francis did not sit on the special throne chair used on such an occasion to receive the oath of obedience and homage from his brother cardinals but instead stood. And after the blessing, he did not take the special papal car to go back to St Martha's House, but took instead the bus "the way he came" with the other cardinals.
Later, the Holy Father and the cardinals had a very "festive and joyful dinner together". When the pope thanked the cardinals, he jokingly said, "May God forgive you for what you have done!"
The pope, after publicly praying for Benedict XVI, called him by phone. "The first greeting and thank you to his predecessors have been done. We should not however expect Pope Francis to go in person to Castel Gandolfo today or tomorrow. It will not happen right away but in a few days time."
During the briefing, Fr Lombardi went on to talk about the pope's visit to St Mary Major Basilica, where the pope arrived at 8.05 am, along with the cardinal vicar of Rome. There Francis placed a bouquet of flowers on the altar in chapel that houses the Madonna Salus populi romani (pictured), prayed for about ten minutes and then greeted the chapter and the confessors.
As the visit continued, the Holt Father stopped at the major altar, which according to tradition holds a relic from Jesus' crib. Later he went to a chapel inside the church, also called the Sistine Chapel, where Saint Ignatius of Loyola (founder of the Company of Jesus) celebrated his first Mass, at Christmas. "For the Jesuits, this is a very important place," Fr Lombardi explained.
The pope also stopped at the tomb of Pius V, also in the chapel, and before he left, he said goodbye to the staff working in the basilica.
In response to a question about the new pope's style, which is closer to that of John XXIII than that of Benedict XVI, Fr Lombardi said it was too early to assess it. We have to wait for "the first homilies to understand the style of expression and the chosen topics."
Speaking on the upcoming papal activities, Fr Lombardi said the first would be Mass at 5 pm in the Sistine Chapel, co-celebrated by the cardinals who took part in the conclave. Afterwards, the pope will go to the papal apartments and remove the seals to let workers in "to retouch things slightly".
Tomorrow at 11 am, the pope will meet again with all the cardinals, but not just the cardinal-electors, in the Vatican's Sala Clementina, for a simple, informal audience.
On Saturday at 11 am, he will hold an audience with all the representatives of the accredited media in the Paul VI Hall to thank them for the work they did in the past few weeks.
On Sunday at 12 noon, the pontiff will deliver his first Angelus prayer from the window of the papal study.
On Tuesday, feast day of Saint Joseph, the Papal Inauguration Mass will be held at 9.30 am in St Peter's Square. "No special tickets required," Fr Lombardi said.
On Wednesday, there will be no general audience. Instead, the Holy Father will receive members of delegations from other Christian denominations who attended the inauguration mass.
The Vatican Press Office director answered other queries, most notably about the pope's language skills, saying that the Holy Father speaks Spanish, English, German, French and Italian, and probably some Portuguese, which will come in handy when he flies to Rio de Janeiro later this year for World Youth Day.
On the issue of the Holy See's dicasteries (ministries), the pope will of course pick office holders, in good time, i.e. Donec aliter provideatur, i.e. until something else is provided.
Speaking about the pope's health, Fr Lombardi confirmed that the pope had a portion of a lung removed "years and years" ago when he was a youth. "Those who have known him for the past 40 years say that he has never had a health problem."
Finally, asked about how he, a fellow Jesuit, views the election of a member of his order, Fr Lombardi said he was very surprised.
"We truly live our spirituality and service more as subordinates of the Church than as a government authority in a diocese or even the Church. For us the idea of a Jesuit pope is very strange" for which he, personally, was not "psychologically prepared". Nevertheless, for him it is "as a great call to serve the universal Church."
In reacting to the election, the Company of Jesus through its Superior General Fr Adolfo Nicolás issued a statement. "The distinguishing mark of our Society is that it is . . . a companionship . . . bound to the Roman Pontiff by a special bond of love and service" (Complementary Norms, No. 2, § 2). Thus, we share the joy of the whole Church, and at the same time, wish to express our renewed availability to be sent into the vineyard of the Lord, according to the spirit of our special vow of obedience, that so distinctively unites us with the Holy Father (General Congregation 35, Decree 1, No. 17)." (FP)
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