At the Vatican heleport, the Pontiff emeritus was greeted by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, His Eminence, Angelo Sodano; the Cardinal Secretary of State, His Eminence, Tracisio Bertone; the Cardinal Presendent of the Vatican Governatorato, His Eminence, Giuseppe Bertelo; the Substitute of the Vatican Secretariat of State, His Eminence, Angelo Becciu; the Secretary for Relations with States, His Excellency, Dominique Mamberti and by the Secretary General of the Vatican Governatorato, His Excellency, Giuseppe Sciacca.
Pope-emeritus Benedict XVI travelled by car from the Vatican heleport to his new residence, the recently renovated Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, where he was greeted by His Holiness, Pope Francis. The Holy Father welcomed his predecessor with warm and fraternal cordiality. Together, they went directly to the Monastery chapel for a brief moment of prayer.
As readers may remember, Benedict XVI transferred to Castel Gandolfo in the afternoon of February 28 of this year, when, at the moment of his renunciation of the Petrine ministry, the period of Sede Vacante began. His Holiness remained at Castel Gandolfo for the next two months, during which time, on March 23, Pope Francis visited with him, and informed him that the necessary preparations for his new residence in the Vatican had been completed.
The Pope-emeritus is happy to return to the Vatican, to the place where he intends to dedicate himself to the serivce of the Church above all through a ministry of prayer, as he himself had announced on February 11 of this year.
As was originally announced, His Excellency, Georg Gaenswein and members of the Memores Domini, a Lay Association affiliated with Communion and Liberation who were part of the Papal Household during the pontificate of Benedict XVI will also reside at the Monastery with His Holiness.
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