The empty section to the left of the photo is where you cannot see the Pope because you are too close to the colonnade under the window he appears from. The space in the centre is railed off. You can just about see the beginning of the crowds stretching up the Via Della Conciliazione. So the reports speaking conservatively of "more than 100,000" are certainly right and the "nearly 200,000" figure quoted in other reports would be perfectly reasonable.This is about ten times the number that normally gather for the Angelus on Sunday. Forza Roma!
At the Vatican website, you can read the Angelus address in Italian. Before the Angelus, the Holy Father gave his customary catechesis (today on the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity). After the Angelus, he thanked the students and professors who had come, for expressing their solidarity with him, and Cardinal Ruini for promoting the occasion. No time to translate it now but I'm sure it will be round the web in English within a short time. Here is a quote courtesy of AP:
"As a professor — shall we say, emeritus — who has met with so many students in my life, I encourage all of you, dear university students and professors, to always be respectful of other people's opinions and to search for truth and goodness with a free and responsible spirit."Back of the net!
One more photo - thanks to Fr Z:
The banner reads "Christ is the true Wisdom (Sapienza)".
4 comments:
Nice that we start our 12 noon family Mass with the Angelus..
I believe as we grow in unity with God through prayer, we grow in unity with one another. And this is not destructive of our diversity.
http://www.liturgy.co.nz/worship/matters_files/weekprayerchristianunity20080121.html
I am hoping in 2008 to encourage what we can do together: pray the Liturgy of the Hours ecumenically.
Blessings
Bosco
Liturgy of the Hours at
http://www.liturgy.co.nz/ofthehours/resources.html
Hi Fr Tim
My wife and I were there yesterday. Fantastic atmosphere, people started coming in from early morning. We went to St Anne's for 10 am Mass then just about managed to squeeze into a spot in St Peter's Square from where we could see the window from which Papa Bendict would appear. Nearly an hour later and the cheers went up as our Holy Father appeared at the window with arms raised up and a big smile on his face. Wonderful! The cheers, hoots and whistles amid 'Viva Papa Benedetto' were almost deafening. Estimates in the region of 100,000 to 200,000 people plus in the square. Well, from where we were standing, right in the thick of it I knew how a sardine would feel!
Then silence for the Angelus and wild applause later as the Pope spoke of freedom of speech in the quest for Truth - especially on University Campus where freedom of speech must be free from political shennanigans and free from 'pin-head' professors with their own agendas and axes to grind. Students are not stupid however, and these charlatans are soon uncovered. Greetings followed in several languages - not too many English speaking people there, but Italians and especially Romans turned out in their thousands. Hundreds of Priests and Religious Sisters both young and old were everywhere to be seen - just so uplifting for us simple folk in the pews to see such a richness of youth among so many of our religious. Hurrah for our Pope and for our Glorious Catholic Faith! It is alive and well - of that there is no doubt!
Aunty could quite easily have covered this. Even if no reporters were in Rome (and at least two are) the wires copy is always available and camera crews always around, even if a freelance is used. The entire Burma riots coverage was done using only emailed mobile phone piccies, so the Angelus crowds would not only have been straightforward but undeniably good pictures, especially on a Sunday, when news can be slower. On the evidence, it looks like a deliberate choice not to cover it. Really poor journalism.
(I still think he should have gone ahead and delivered the lecture in the first place. 67 protestors, 20,000 supporters. Hopefully he will.)
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