The Pope has decided to stay in Santa Marta
The papal apartment on the third floor of the Apostolic Palace is ready, after the rapid maintenance work needed to put it back in again after eight years of the pontificate of Benedict XVI. But Francis Pope will move there, at least for now and for the foreseeable future, as early this morning by the Argentine newspaper La Nacion.
“Until further notice,” announced the Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, the Pope will remain up in the Argentine Domus Sancta Marthae, the residence housed the Vatican where the cardinals during the conclave and where normally inhabit a few dozen priests and bishops in service within the Vatican. Another half of the rooms is available instead of bishops and cardinals passing through Rome for hearings and meetings.
The pope chose a “simple form of dwelling and living with other priests and bishops,” Father Lombardi said, “think of living in a normal and simple.” Staying in Santa Marta, the spokesman added, Francesco can live “with other members of the clergy”, refusing however the luxurious isolation of the pontifical.
Like every morning, Bergoglio Pope celebrated mass at 7 am in the chapel of the Domus, this time together with the regular guests of the residence that were able to regain possession of their rooms after the conclave. During the homily, said Lombardi, Francis “hinted that it intends to stay with them at least for some time.”
The pontiff has moved from a few days in suite number 201 of the Domus, with a reception lounge, designed to accommodate the new pontiff in the days immediately following the election. Previously, Francis was staying in room 207, where he had chosen to stay even in the first few days after the conclave.
Lombardi stressed, however, that Bergoglio began to regularly use the apartment ‘papal’ representative on the second floor of the Apostolic Palace, where he received the Heads of State and other authorities in the private library, as usual. The spokesman also said that Francis will continue to appear every Sunday to pray the Angelus from the window of the private apartment on the third floor.
That community life of the Domus Santa Marta liked to Pope in the Vatican Bergoglio if all were noticed. The chance to meet people, to stop at the table with them, to share a few moments of the day, to celebrate Mass in a chapel capable of holding a good number of people, all of which have played in favor of the decision made it clear that Francis morning guests to Santa Marta, primarily those fifty priests and monsignors working in the Roman Curia who have returned to their rooms after the conclave.
The Pope, at least for the moment, no longer live in the apartment block. And while using the representation, as well as that of usual residence of the Popes for the Sunday Angelus, with Francesco you can say that there is no longer the ‘Apartment’, an expression and curial organization with which you define the close entourage who lives with the pope.
That of Bergoglio is therefore a choice of normality. That normality and affability that has impressed in recent days the delegates of other Christian denominations, including delegations of Orthodox Patriarchates of Constantinople and Moscow, which remained are very happy to have shared the table with the Pope
According learns Vatican Insider, the Pope was made the objection that had to return to Santa Marta the priests who work in the Curia and remaining there, Francis would have been in contact with them. The response Bergoglio would have been: “I’m used to being with my priests.” The rest of the papal decision not surprising: even in the Archbishopric of Buenos Aires, Bergoglio used to live in one room dedicated to him.
