Pope Francis made a special visit to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on Wednesday afternoon to offer his best wishes for Easter and for his 95th birthday on 16th April, Holy Saturday.
Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has visited Benedict XVI for Easter, interrupted only due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"After a brief and affectionate conversation, and after praying together, Pope Francis returned to Casa Santa Marta," said Matteo Bruni. Director of the Holy See Press Office.
The Tagespost Foundation for Catholic Journalism has invited Catholics around the world to congratulate Pope emeritus Benedict XVI on his 95th birthday. The Foundations has created a website to collect the messages, which will then be shown to Benedict XVI.
On the website of the Tagespost Foundation, originally launched by Benedict XVI, Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, wrote a congratulatory message.
“I thank God for giving us Joseph Ratzinger on Holy Saturday 1927 as a fine man, profoundly devout Christian, outstanding theologian, and kind bishop and pope. And I thank Pope emeritus Benedict XVI for his lifelong witness to the love of God and for his compelling life’s work in theology,” he said.
Pope Francis celebrated the Chrism Mass at St Peter's Basilica at 9:30am local time on Maundy Thursday.
The Holy Father will celebrate ‘The Mass of the Lord’s Supper’, at the prison of Civitavecchia, Rome, where he will wash the feet of 12 prisoners. The Civitavecchia prison houses around 500 inmates.
-VN/CNA