Vatican
City, 30 July 2013 (VIS) - Following are highlights of the activities
of Pope Benedict XVI and of the Holy See for the months of January to
April 2013.
JANUARY
7:
Video-message from the Holy Father Benedict XVI on the occasion of
the National Congress of the Church in Cambodia on the theme of
"Vatican Council II and the Church".
8:
"Go and do likewise" is the theme for the Holy Father's
message on the 21st World Day of the Sick to be celebrated 11
February, the liturgical feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes,
which will take place this year at the Marian Shrine of Altotting,
Germany.
10:
The Holy Father receives in audience Mrs. Slavica Karacic, the new
ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Holy See, presenting her
credential letters.
12:
The Holy Father receives in audience His Serene Highness Prince
Albert II of Monaco and his wife, Princess Charlene.
13:
Celebration of World Day of Migrants and Refugees.
18-25:
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on the theme: "What does God
require of us?", inspired by a passage in the book of the
prophet Micah.
18:
The French and German Bishops' Conferences publish a joint
declaration marking the 50th anniversary of the Elysee Treaty, signed
on 22 January 1963 by General Charles de Gaulle and Chancellor Konrad
Adenauer to seal the reconciliation between the two opposing nations
after the Second World War.
19:
Benedict XVI receives in audience participants in the plenary session
of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum on the theme: “Charity,
Christian Anthropology, and Global Ethics".
22:
The Holy Father Benedict XVI receives in audience for the first time
the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party
of Vietnam, His Excellency Nguyen Phu Trong.
24:
Death of Cardinal Jozef Glemp, archbishop emeritus of Gniezno and
Warsaw and primate of Poland, at the age of 83.
24:
Presentation of Benedict XVI's message for the 47th World
Communications Day (12 May) on the theme: "Social Networks:
Portals of Truth and Faith; New Spaces for Evangelisation".
25:
Study Day on “The Code: A Reform Desired and Requested by the
Council” marking the 30th anniversary of the promulgation of the
Code of Canon Law.
25:
With the Motu Proprio “Fides per doctrinam”, signed 16 January,
the Holy Father modifies the apostolic constitution "Pastor
bonus", transferring responsibility for catechesis from the
Congregation for the Clergy to the Pontifical Council for Promoting
New Evangelisation.
FEBRUARY
1:
Presentation of the Holy Father's Lenten Message, dated 15 February
2013 and entitled "Believing in Charity Calls Forth Charity:
'We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us'".
6-9:
Annual Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for Culture,
dedicated to the theme "Emerging Youth Cultures".
8:
Death of Cardinal Giovanni Cheli, president emeritus of the
Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care, at the age of 94.
11:
In the Consistory Hall of the Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father
presides over an ordinary public consistory for the canonization of
the blesseds: Antonio Primaldo and Companions, martyrs, (1480); Laura
de Santa Catalina de Siena Montoya y Upegui (1874 -1949), virgin,
foundress of the Congregation of the Missionaries of Mary Immaculate
and St Catherine of Siena; and Maria Guadalupe Garcia Zavala,
co-foundress of the Congregation of the Handmaids of St Margaret Mary
(Alacoque) and the Poor. During the course of the consistory, the
Pope decrees that blesseds Antonio Primaldo and his companions, Laura
di Santa Caterina da Siena Montoya y Upegui and Maria Guadalupe
Garcia Zavala be inscribed in the book of saints on Sunday, 12 May
2013.
11:
At the end of the consistory for causes for canonization Benedict XVI
announces to the College of Cardinals, in a declaration read in
Latin, his resignation from his ministry as Bishop of Rome, from 8
p.m. on 28 February 2013.
14:
“I will always be near to all of you in prayer” says the Holy
Father to the priests and clergy of the Diocese of Rome, accompanied
by Cardinal Agostino Vallini, vicar general, and auxiliary bishops.
14:
Archbishop Georg Ganswein, prefect of the Papal Household and
secretary to Benedict XVI, continues to carry out both roles and thus
accompanies the Pope during his stay at Castel Gandolfo and at the
monastery that he will retire to after his resignation from the
papacy.
15:
The Holy Father Benedetto XVI receives in audience Traian Basescu,
president of the Republic of Romania.
15:
The Commission of Cardinals for the Institute for the Works of
Religion (IOR) appoints, in accordance with the Institute’s
statutes, a new president of the Supervisory Board, Ernst von
Freyberg.
16:
The Pope receives Senator Mario Monti, Prime Minister of the Italian
Republic, in a private audience.
16:
The Pope receives in audience Otto Perez Molina, president of the
Republic of Guatemala.
22:
The Holy See and the Republic of South Sudan establish diplomatic
relations at the level of Apostolic Nunciature on the part of the
Holy See and the Embassy on the part of the Republic of South Sudan.
23:
The Holy Father receives in a farewell audience the president of the
Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, accompanied by his wife.
24:
Final Angelus of Benedict XVI's pontificate, attended by over 200,000
people.
25:
Publication of an Apostolic Letter in the form of a Motu Proprio by
Holy Father Benedict XVI on amendments concerning the election of the
Roman Pontiff, in which the College of Cardinals is granted the
faculty to bring forward the start of the Conclave.
25:
Death of Belgian Cardinal Julien Ries at the age of 92.
26:
After the end of his Pontificate Benedict XVI will be “Pontiff
emeritus” or “Pope emeritus”, and will keep the name of “His
Holiness, Benedict XVI”. He will dress in a simple white cassock
without the mozzetta.
27:
Benedict XVI celebrates his final general audience, attended by
thousands of people.
27:
The Holy Father receives in audience Ivan Gasparovic, President of
Slovakia.
28:
The Holy Father Benedict XVI greets the College of Cardinals on the
last day of his pontificate.
28:
Death of Cardinal Jean Honoré, archbishop emeritus of Tours, France,
at the age of 92.
28:
Shortly after 5:00pm, Benedict XVI leaves the Vatican for the last
time as Supreme Pontiff, destined for Castel Gandolfo where he will
reside temporarily before transferring to the Monastery on the
Vatican Hill, which has previously housed four cloistered orders.
MARCH
1:
On the first day of the Sede Vacante, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of
the College of Cardinals, summons the cardinals to the first of the
General Congregations, in accordance with the Apostolic Constitution
“Universi Dominici Gregis”.
8:
The eighth General Congregation of the College of Cardinals decides
that the Conclave will begin on Tuesday, 12 March 2013.
12:
“Pro eligendo Romano Pontifice” Mass, presided by Cardinal Angelo
Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, and concelebrated by over
one hundred cardinals, electors and non-electors.
12:
The 115 Cardinal electors enter into the Conclave.
13:
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J., is elected Supreme Pontiff, the
265th successor of Peter, and chooses the name Francis, the first
Pope to do so.
14:
The Holy Father's first liturgical celebration with the 114 cardinals
who participated in the Conclave. They concelebrate the “Pro
Ecclesia” Mass in Latin, with readings in Italian.
15:
The new Roman Pontiff receives all the Cardinals, electors and
non-electors in the Clementine Hall.
16:
The Holy Father greets over 6,000 journalists and media workers
accredited in Rome, permanently or temporarily, in the Vatican's Paul
VI Hall.
17:
Pope Francis celebrates Mass at the Vatican parish of St. Anna.
17:
First Angelus of the pontificate of Pope Francis.
18:
Audience and lunch with Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, President of
Argentina.
19:
Solemnity of St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, in St.
Peter's Square. Celebration of the Mass inaugurating Pope Francis'
Petrine Ministry.
20:
Audience with the Fraternal Delegates.
20:
The Pope receives in audience Dilma Vana Rousseff, president of
Brazil, and entourage.
22:
The Pope receives in audience members of the diplomatic corps
accredited to the Holy See in the Sala Regia.
23:
Meeting with the Pope emeritus Benedict XVI and lunch in the
Apostolic Palace at Castel Gandolfo.
25:
The Square Garden (“Giardino Quadrato”), created in the 1500s at
the behest of Pope Paul III Farnese, who commissioned Michelangelo's
“The Last Judgment” in 1534, will be open to visitors of the
Vatican Museums.
27:
Pope Francis' first General Audience, reflecting on Holy Week.
28:
Pope Francis celebrates the “in Coena Domine”—the Lord's
Supper—Mass at the Casal del Marmo Penitential Institute for Minors
and not in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, as is usual on this day.
APRIL
5:
Presentation of the new print and digital versions of the Jesuit
journal “La Civilta Cattolica” (Catholic Civilization).
7:
In the Basilica of St. John Lateran on Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope
Francis celebrates Mass, during which he officially takes possession
of the Cathedra of the Bishop of Rome.
7:
Cardinal John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria,
takes possession pf the title of San Saturnino, Via Avigliana, 3,
Roma.
9:
The Holy Father receives in audience Ban Ki-moon, secretary-general
of the United Nations, with his wife and entourage.
10:
Death of Cardinal Lorenzo Antonetti, president emeritus of the
Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, former
pontifical delegate to the Patriarchal Basilica of St. Francis of
Assisi, at the age of 90.
11:
The Holy Father receives in audience Alberto Clementino Vaquina,
prime minister of Mozambique.
13:
The Holy Father establishes a group of cardinals to advise him in the
government of the Universal Church and to draw up a plan for revising
the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia, 'Pastor Bonus'.
14:
Pope Francis presides over Mass at Saint Paul Outside-the-Walls on
his first visit there as Bishop of Rome.
15:
The Holy Father receives in audience Mariano Rajoy Brey, prime
minister of Spain, with his wife and entourage.
16:
Presentation of the Vatican Foundation “International Family Centre
in Nazareth”, to be erected on the outskirts of Nazareth above the
hill dominating the city centre and the Basilica of the Annunciation.
17:
The Holy Father receives Saleh Mohammad Al Ghamdi, ambassador of the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Italy, bearer of a message from King
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
-
19: The Holy Father receives in audience Rafael Correa Delgado,
president of the Republic of Ecuador, and entourage.
-
22: Cardinal Rubén Salazar Gómez takes possession of the title of
St. Gerardo Maiella, Via Romolo Balzani, 74, Roma.
-
26: The Holy Father receives in audience Andry Nirina Rajoelina,
president of the High Transitional Authority of Madagascar.
-
30: The Holy Father receives in audience Shimon Peres, president of
the State of Israel.
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