VATICAN CITY
17:40 a beautiful sunny day, the first harbinger of spring shy: in Castel Gandolfo, the Pope turns his gaze for the last time the crowd of pilgrims who cry to him and applaud him. And after telling them “Thank you all, good night!” Unsteadily part of the building, while the breeze that rises from Lake Albano is trumpeting the heavy red cloth with the papal insignia, which wraps around itself hiding the coat of arms. Almost a symbol of that being “hidden from the world,” the new condition of Joseph Ratzinger, Pope from 19 April 2005 to 28 February 2013. Latest images of a Pope who resigned from 20.00 last night “emeritus” and finally relieved from the burden of responsibility to shepherd the Church. It had never happened in the two thousand years that a successor of Peter to give up old age. It has never happened that the last acts of his pontificate were planned well in advance and were followed by cameras from moment to moment, which was broadcast worldwide.
1105 hours, Clementine Hall
With a few minutes late, Benedict XVI has reached the cardinals who were waiting for a final farewell. Are 144, many of which voters asked to choose his successor. Ratzinger as the mozzetta red velvet decorated with ermine and sits on the throne. His face is tired, marked. Appears fragile as ever. Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the college, thanked the Pope for the example of the last eight years of his pontificate and paraphrasing the Gospel of the disciples of Emmaus said to him: “Know also that burned our hearts when we walked with her in the past eight years “. It was expected the Pope’s speech, only a personal greeting to each of the cardinals. Instead Benedict wants to leave one last message he needs to explain once again what is and what is not the Church wants to invite harmony, wants to ensure that “Papa Emeritus” obey unconditionally the one Pope, that are likely to ‘re listening to at that moment, sitting among the others. “The Church is not an institution devised and built in table … but a living reality … It lives along the course of time, become, like any living being, becoming … Yet in its nature remains the same, and its heart is Christ. ” And again: “The Church lives, grows and awakens in the soul.” Does not exist for itself, it must be turned in on itself, on the power play, divided by cordate, suffering from careerism. There is still the mention of “some cloud that has thickened in the sky” along the eight years of his papacy. There is an invitation to the College of Cardinals, so that it is “like an orchestra, where differences – an expression of the universal Church – always contribute to greater harmony and concord.”
Then begins the long kiss of the cardinals. The last great physical effort of Pope Ratzinger For over an hour, stopping only to sip water twice who gives him the aide of room Sandro Mariotti, is still standing. Greets one by one the cardinals. There are those who kneels moved, who shakes his hand, who whispers in his ear a few words, such as “papabile» Philippine Luis Antonio Tagle, causing the smile of the Pope
Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schönborn gives the Pope a couple of books, the American Sean O’Malley shook his hand hard and long, the Argentine Jorge Mario Bergoglio and Italian Angelo Scola will hold a little longer. When it is the turn of “papabile» Brazilian Odilo Pedro Scherer Pope listens in silence to his words. The president of the CEI Angelo Bagnasco beats his arm affectionately. Among the most excited, the “papabile” Canadian Marc Ouellet: greeting briefly and quickly, under the watchful look of Don Georg Gänswein, the Secretary-archbishop who keeps looking at his watch worried about the prolonged greetings.
13.00 hours, the Apostolic Palace
Benedict XVI uses his last meal in the papal apartment. A table with him the two secretaries and four “memores Domini,” the lay consecrated Communion and Liberation who will follow him in Castel Gandolfo, and then, in a couple of months in the monastery in the Vatican. There is emotion, but also peace of mind. The residence of the Pope is now in disarray. Were selected documents and personal papers, unbound papal office, which Ratzinger bring. Everything else is for the Secret Archives, in the section devoted to the papacy of Benedict XVI concluded by now. Other boxes and other papers must be passed before my eyes and return to the memory of the papal household: the scandal vatileaks, those seized in the house of butler Paul Gabriel, those stolen and photocopied dall’aiutante room. The time for the observance afternoon is short. Departure time comes soon.
16.56 hours, the courtyard of San Damaso
With the black cane in his hand, in small steps, the Pope comes out of the apostolic palace for the last time. Await the superiors of the Secretariat of State. There are the Swiss Guards in full uniform, arrayed in full force. We used to see these departures from the Quirinale, at the end of seven years of Presidents of the Republic. But they had seen a Pope, who accommiata by his curia. There is a small crowd of citizens Vatican, kept at a distance, applauding and shouting “Long live the Pope.” Ratzinger hails from far away, smiles, then slips into the black sedan with the flags of the Vatican. Don George sits beside him in the back seat. The driver that accompanies the heliport is in tears. There waiting for him Cardinal Sodano and Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, president emeritus of the governorate. The Pope salt in the helicopter the Italian Air Force.
17.08 hours, the Vatican heliport
Don Georg system the seat belt to the Pope, an instant after takeoff. With Ratzinger, in flight, there are also the second secretary, Maltese Alfred Xuereb, the personal physician Patrick Polisca, the ruler of the Papal Household, Archbishop Leonardo Sapienza. The ride over the skies of Rome is short, immortalized moment by moment. Come to mind images of another last trip, what Pope John Paul II was coming out of the Gemini, under the pitiless eye of the camera that takes each momentoa. But that was a sick Pontiff, near the end of his life, not the first Pope who resigned after six centuries. The helicopter stands behind the Dome, flying over the Tiber, passing over to the Coliseum, the place of the Cross every Friday, a symbol for Pope Ratzinger because from that place, in the meditations of the Stations of the Cross in March 2005, the then Prefect of the Doctrine of the Faith spoke of the “filth in the Church” against which he fought without much always be able to eradicate it.
17.24 hours, Castel Gandolfo
The helicopter touches down. The Pope is greeted by President of the Governorate Bertello and secretary, Bishop Sciacca. There is also the bishop of Albano, Marcello Semeraro, the mayor and the parish priest. Then the last facing, the last salute to the crowd applauds him. “Thank you! Dear friends, I am happy to be with you, surrounded by the beauty of creation and your sympathy that makes me very well. Thank you for your friendship, your love. You know that my day is different from the previous ones, are no longer the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church until eight in the evening I will be still, then no more. I am simply a pilgrim begins the last leg of his pilgrimage on this earth. But I would still, with my heart, my love, my prayer, my reflection, with all my inner strength, to work for the good of the Church and of humanity. And I feel very supported by your sympathy. ” At the time of blessing, emotion betrays the Pope, who missed the formula. Then the “thank you, good night.” And the former Pope, senior “pilgrim”, it turns its back on the world to be swallowed by silence.
20.00 hours
The gates of the villa of Castel Gandolfo closes. The white and yellow papal flag is lowered. The Swiss Guards leave the building. Since then, inside, there is the Pope, but only Joseph Ratzinger “hidden from the world,” the old Bavarian theologian who was lifted from his shoulders the yoke of the papacy.
ANDREA TORNIELLI