Follow-up on Pope's hospital Mass

A correspondent has sent some further details of the Holy Father's recent Mass at the Knights of Malta hospital in Rome (see previous article "Facing the people")

This Osservatore photo shows the pontifical dalmatic - rather amusingly it is in a different style from the chasuble: presumably there was not a matching polyester pontifical dalmatic.

An interesting additional point is that the altar had a row of flowers in front of it which made it impossible to go around the altar while incensing. The Holy Father therefore had to incense the altar in the manner that would normally be done if the altar were fixed against the wall.

It was also noted that the Holy Father himself gave communion to a large number of people - a good example when extraordinary ministers are so widely used without any real necessity. (Notice the communion plate.)

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