Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz visits Pope emeritus Benedict XVI at the Vatican on April 27, 2022. / Twitter @ArchKrakowska.
Vatican City, Apr 28, 2022 / 02:45 am (CNA).
St. John Paul II’s long-time secretary visited Pope emeritus Benedict XVI on Wednesday.
Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz met with the pope emeritus at the Vatican on April 27, the eighth anniversary of the Polish pope’s canonization.
The Archdiocese of Kraków, southern Poland, said that Dziwisz, who led the archdiocese from 2005 to 2016, celebrated Mass at the tomb of St. John Paul II in St. Peter’s Basilica.
The cardinal then greeted Benedict XVI at his Vatican residence, the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery. The German theologian succeeded John Paul II as pope in 2005 and retired in 2013.
Pope Francis canonized St. John Paul II, who led the Catholic Church from 1978 to 2005, on April 27, 2014.
The pope recalled the anniversary at this Wednesday general audience.
— Archidiecezja Krakowska (@ArchKrakowska) April 27, 2022
Speaking to Polish pilgrims, he said: “Today, on the eighth anniversary of the canonization of St. John Paul II, through his intercession, let us ask to be faithful witnesses of Christ and his merciful love in the world, in the family, and in the workplace.”
The apostolic nunciature in Poland announced on April 22 that the Vatican had concluded an investigation into allegations that Dziwisz mishandled abuse cases as archbishop of Kraków, declaring that his actions were “correct.”
Benedict XVI celebrated his 95th birthday on April 16.
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In response to the long wait times to enter St. Peter’s Basilica, those who wish to enter for Mass, confession, or adoration can now do so via a special “prayer entrance” immediately to the right of the barricades to enter through the metal detectors on the right side of the piazza. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA
Rome Newsroom, Apr 14, 2023 / 13:15 pm (CNA).
With 100,000 people cramming into St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, the lines to enter the Vatican basilica have returned to their pre-pandemic wait times.
In light of the influx of tourists to the Eternal City, the Vatican has introduced a separate “prayer entrance” for Catholics who want to enter St. Peter’s Basilica for Mass, confession, or adoration.
The entrance, signaled only by a small sign, is immediately to the right of the barricades to enter through the metal detectors on the right side of the piazza.
In response to the long wait times to enter St. Peter’s Basilica, those who wish to enter for Mass, confession, or adoration can now do so via a special “prayer entrance” marked with a sign immediately to the right of the barricades to enter through the metal detectors on the right side of the piazza. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
Mountain Butorac, who leads small groups of Catholics on pilgrimages to Rome with his company The Catholic Traveler, calls the prayer entrance “long overdue.”
According to Butorac, it can take up to two hours of waiting in a long line to enter St. Peter’s Basilica during the peak tourism season.
“When I first moved to Rome, I was always going to Sunday Mass at St. Peter’s … but then standing in line for an hour and a half to go to Mass got old pretty fast,” he told CNA.
“We also do weekly family confession there and we always would have to go right at 7 or 8 a.m. And now we can go later in the day,” he added.
Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, the archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, said the prayer entrance was introduced during Holy Week on an “experimental basis.”
“In line with the Holy Father’s wish, we would like to restore maximum accessibility to the sanctuary for spiritual, liturgical, and celebratory life,” Gambetti said.
The cardinal expressed hope that the new entrance will “allow the faithful, prayer groups, and pilgrims to come to pray in St. Peter’s and participate in the sacraments easily, without waiting in long queues.”
The prayer entrance will soon lead to a “pilgrim path” designated by red velvet ropes that will guide people along the right side wall of the basilica, while the throngs of tourists and guided groups will remain in the main part of the basilica.
The new path will bring pilgrims past Michelangelo’s Pietà and the tomb of St. John Paul II directly to the chapel with daily eucharistic adoration and the back corner of the basilica reserved for confessions.
Pilgrims will also be able to access two of the chapels where daily public Masses are held: the Altar of the Chair and Altar of St. Joseph.
In response to the long wait times to enter St. Peter’s Basilica, those who wish to enter for Mass, confession, or adoration can now do so via a special “prayer entrance” immediately to the right of the barricades to enter through the metal detectors on the right side of the piazza. Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA
However, it appears that the Vatican is still coordinating the logistics of this prayer path after the soft launch of the new entrance during Holy Week, as the current prayer entrance merely drops pilgrims off at the front of the line to enter through security, essentially allowing those who wish to access the sacraments in the basilica an option to “skip the line.”
To enter, tell the security guard near the new prayer entrance sign that you are coming to the basilica to pray.
Elizabeth Hince, who lives near St. Peter’s Basilica with her husband and two young children, said: “We’re very excited to not have to get up at 7 a.m. to avoid the line when we want to go to confession or adoration!”
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