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New York Times
18-05-2025
- General
- New York Times
Until 60 Years Ago, New Popes Were Crowned
In the book 'A Reporter at the Papal Court,' published in 1937, Thomas B. Morgan, then the head of The United Press bureau in Rome wrote that Pope Pius XI's inauguration ceremony in 1922 had been 'more dazzling and colorful' that the coronation of the king of England. One wow factor would have been the moment of the coronation of the pope. From the 12th century until Paul VI stopped using a papal crown in 1964, the installation Mass included a solemn moment when the pontiff was crowned with an elaborate gold and jewel-encrusted tiara. The pope would not wear the tiara during liturgical ceremonies 'but only when entering and exiting certain solemn ceremonies,' said Rev. Stefano Sanchirico, co-author of a book on papal rituals. Paul VI stopped using the tiara and chose to wear a miter instead, as his successors have done. The papal tiara ended up in the United States, where it is now in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. In his homily during his inauguration Mass on Oct. 22, 1978, Pope John Paul II noted that popes had been crowned in the past, but said the focus should be elsewhere. 'This is not the time to return to a ceremony and an object considered, wrongly, to be a symbol of the temporal power of the Popes,' he said. Archival footage offers a glimpse of the grandeur of the ceremony. A 1939 film that includes the coronation of Pope Pius XII shows crowds roaring in St. Peter's Square, as he was carried on an elevated throne through the atrium of the basilica. The pope then moved to a balcony and was crowned. A film of the coronation of Pope John XXIII in 1958 shows him being crowned, with the narrator proclaiming him: 'The vicar of Christ on earth.' Doing away with the crown was not the only way in which Paul VI looked to open the church to the modern world: He also moved the ceremony outside to the area in front of the basilica, where was carried through the crowd on a raised throne by sediari, a lay brotherhood that still has a role in the Vatican — they were the pallbearers who carried Pope Francis' coffin.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
What is the traditional Sunday blessing that popes deliver in St. Peter's Square?
VATICAN CITY (AP) — For thousands of Catholic pilgrims in Rome, it's the unmissable Vatican appointment: the midday Sunday blessing the pope delivers from a window overlooking St. Peter's Square. The new pope, Leo XIV, is scheduled to deliver his first such prayer on Sunday from the loggia where he first appeared in public after being elected three days ago. Here is a look at the history, meaning and memorable moments from Sunday blessings of popes past. The history of the pope's Sunday blessing In 1954, which he had declared a special year of veneration to the Virgin Mary, Pope Pius XII started reciting in public a traditional Catholic midday prayer to her. He first delivered it from the pope's summer residence, just outside Rome at Castel Gandolfo. Back at the Vatican, he kept it up from a window facing St. Peter's Square at the Apostolic Palace, the 16th century building where the papal apartments are. Pope Francis broke with tradition by living at a Vatican guest house instead but still maintained the Sunday prayer tradition from the palace. It's become a chance for ordinary faithful to see the pope relatively up close. Especially since the papacy of St. John Paul II – from 1978 to 2005 – popes have added short messages touching on different topics of the day. When a pope misses the weekly occasion – as Francis did earlier this year during his hospitalization – it makes global news. The Vatican announced Leo would deliver his first such prayer on Sunday, which is coincidentally Mother's Day in Italy and the United States, among other countries. The prayer to Mary The Angelus is the short prayer to Mary that many Catholics recite daily. Often prayed before Mass, but traditionally accompanied by the tolling of bells at dawn, midday and early evening, it references the moment when the Gospels say the Archangel Gabriel told Mary she would become the mother of God, and she accepted. 'Angelus' is Latin for angel, and the prayer's first verse is 'The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.' The faithful then answer, 'And she conceived of the Holy Spirit,' followed by a Hail Mary and a few more verses and prayers. This 'annunciation' scene is so pivotal in Christian dogma that it's been represented by some of the most celebrated painters for centuries. Some artists have also portrayed the faithful reciting the Angelus, a practice that is believed to have started in the Middle Ages. During Eastertime – the current liturgical season, spanning 50 days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost – the prayer is substituted with another devotion to Mary, the Regina Coeli (also spelled Caeli, Latin for 'Queen of Heaven') that encourages rejoicing in Christ's resurrection. Memorable Sunday prayer moments Looking frail, St. John Paul II appeared at his hospital window for his last Angelus prayer less than three weeks before he died in 2005. He didn't speak, only blessing the crowd with an olive branch. An archbishop delivered his message, with the trademark exhortation to young people not to be afraid to follow Jesus. Tens of thousands of people packed St. Peter's Square when Pope Benedict XVI gave his final Sunday prayer in 2013 before becoming the first pope in 600 years to resign. They cheered him on as he reassured the faithful he wasn't abandoning the church, but rather turning to prayer because of his advancing age. At his first Angelus in 2013, Francis introduced a key motif of his papacy: mercy. 'A bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just,' he told the crowd. More recently, Francis used the Sunday blessings to call for peace, especially in Ukraine and Gaza. But he also would close his blessings with the down-to-earth phrase, 'Have a good lunch." ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Giovanna Dell'orto, The Associated Press
The Independent
11-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
What is the traditional Sunday blessing that popes deliver in St. Peter's Square?
For thousands of Catholic pilgrims in Rome, it's the unmissable Vatican appointment: the midday Sunday blessing the pope delivers from a window overlooking St. Peter's Square. The new pope, Leo XIV, is scheduled to deliver his first such prayer on Sunday from the loggia where he first appeared in public after being elected three days ago. Here is a look at the history, meaning and memorable moments from Sunday blessings of popes past. The history of the pope's Sunday blessing In 1954, which he had declared a special year of veneration to the Virgin Mary, Pope Pius XII started reciting in public a traditional Catholic midday prayer to her. He first delivered it from the pope's summer residence, just outside Rome at Castel Gandolfo. Back at the Vatican, he kept it up from a window facing St. Peter's Square at the Apostolic Palace, the 16th century building where the papal apartments are. Pope Francis broke with tradition by living at a Vatican guest house instead but still maintained the Sunday prayer tradition from the palace. It's become a chance for ordinary faithful to see the pope relatively up close. Especially since the papacy of St. John Paul II – from 1978 to 2005 – popes have added short messages touching on different topics of the day. When a pope misses the weekly occasion – as Francis did earlier this year during his hospitalization – it makes global news. The Vatican announced Leo would deliver his first such prayer on Sunday, which is coincidentally Mother's Day in Italy and the United States, among other countries. The prayer to Mary The Angelus is the short prayer to Mary that many Catholics recite daily. Often prayed before Mass, but traditionally accompanied by the tolling of bells at dawn, midday and early evening, it references the moment when the Gospels say the Archangel Gabriel told Mary she would become the mother of God, and she accepted. 'Angelus' is Latin for angel, and the prayer's first verse is 'The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.' The faithful then answer, 'And she conceived of the Holy Spirit,' followed by a Hail Mary and a few more verses and prayers. This 'annunciation' scene is so pivotal in Christian dogma that it's been represented by some of the most celebrated painters for centuries. Some artists have also portrayed the faithful reciting the Angelus, a practice that is believed to have started in the Middle Ages. During Eastertime – the current liturgical season, spanning 50 days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost – the prayer is substituted with another devotion to Mary, the Regina Coeli (also spelled Caeli, Latin for 'Queen of Heaven') that encourages rejoicing in Christ's resurrection. Memorable Sunday prayer moments Looking frail, St. John Paul II appeared at his hospital window for his last Angelus prayer less than three weeks before he died in 2005. He didn't speak, only blessing the crowd with an olive branch. An archbishop delivered his message, with the trademark exhortation to young people not to be afraid to follow Jesus. Tens of thousands of people packed St. Peter's Square when Pope Benedict XVI gave his final Sunday prayer in 2013 before becoming the first pope in 600 years to resign. They cheered him on as he reassured the faithful he wasn't abandoning the church, but rather turning to prayer because of his advancing age. At his first Angelus in 2013, Francis introduced a key motif of his papacy: mercy. 'A bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just,' he told the crowd. More recently, Francis used the Sunday blessings to call for peace, especially in Ukraine and Gaza. But he also would close his blessings with the down-to-earth phrase, 'Have a good lunch." ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Associated Press
11-05-2025
- General
- Associated Press
What is the traditional Sunday blessing that popes deliver in St. Peter's Square?
VATICAN CITY (AP) — For thousands of Catholic pilgrims in Rome, it's the unmissable Vatican appointment: the midday Sunday blessing the pope delivers from a window overlooking St. Peter's Square. The new pope, Leo XIV, is scheduled to deliver his first such prayer on Sunday from the loggia where he first appeared in public after being elected three days ago. Here is a look at the history, meaning and memorable moments from Sunday blessings of popes past. The history of the pope's Sunday blessing In 1954, which he had declared a special year of veneration to the Virgin Mary, Pope Pius XII started reciting in public a traditional Catholic midday prayer to her. He first delivered it from the pope's summer residence, just outside Rome at Castel Gandolfo. Back at the Vatican, he kept it up from a window facing St. Peter's Square at the Apostolic Palace, the 16th century building where the papal apartments are. Pope Francis broke with tradition by living at a Vatican guest house instead but still maintained the Sunday prayer tradition from the palace. It's become a chance for ordinary faithful to see the pope relatively up close. Especially since the papacy of St. John Paul II – from 1978 to 2005 – popes have added short messages touching on different topics of the day. When a pope misses the weekly occasion – as Francis did earlier this year during his hospitalization – it makes global news. The Vatican announced Leo would deliver his first such prayer on Sunday, which is coincidentally Mother's Day in Italy and the United States, among other countries. The prayer to Mary The Angelus is the short prayer to Mary that many Catholics recite daily. Often prayed before Mass, but traditionally accompanied by the tolling of bells at dawn, midday and early evening, it references the moment when the Gospels say the Archangel Gabriel told Mary she would become the mother of God, and she accepted. 'Angelus' is Latin for angel, and the prayer's first verse is 'The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.' The faithful then answer, 'And she conceived of the Holy Spirit,' followed by a Hail Mary and a few more verses and prayers. This 'annunciation' scene is so pivotal in Christian dogma that it's been represented by some of the most celebrated painters for centuries. Some artists have also portrayed the faithful reciting the Angelus, a practice that is believed to have started in the Middle Ages. During Eastertime – the current liturgical season, spanning 50 days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost – the prayer is substituted with another devotion to Mary, the Regina Coeli (also spelled Caeli, Latin for 'Queen of Heaven') that encourages rejoicing in Christ's resurrection. Memorable Sunday prayer moments Looking frail, St. John Paul II appeared at his hospital window for his last Angelus prayer less than three weeks before he died in 2005. He didn't speak, only blessing the crowd with an olive branch. An archbishop delivered his message, with the trademark exhortation to young people not to be afraid to follow Jesus. Tens of thousands of people packed St. Peter's Square when Pope Benedict XVI gave his final Sunday prayer in 2013 before becoming the first pope in 600 years to resign. They cheered him on as he reassured the faithful he wasn't abandoning the church, but rather turning to prayer because of his advancing age. At his first Angelus in 2013, Francis introduced a key motif of his papacy: mercy. 'A bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just,' he told the crowd. More recently, Francis used the Sunday blessings to call for peace, especially in Ukraine and Gaza. But he also would close his blessings with the down-to-earth phrase, 'Have a good lunch.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
The Independent
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
The conclave to elect Pope Leo XIV was short, but it wasn't the shortest ever
The swift two-day election of Pope Francis 's successor, Pope Leo XIV, marks one of the shortest conclaves in recent history. But how long do these events typically last? While pinpointing the exact length of past papal elections is difficult due to the Vatican 's reticence on releasing official voting data, historical records offer some insights. Prior to 1274, popes were occasionally elected the same day their predecessor died. However, the Church subsequently mandated a waiting period of at least 10 days before the initial vote, later extended to 15 to accommodate travel time for cardinals arriving in Rome. This two-day conclave stands in stark contrast to some historical elections which stretched for nearly a week. The quickest conclave observing the 10-day wait rule appears to have been the 1503 election of Pope Julius II, who was elected in just a few hours, according to Vatican historian Ambrogio Piazzoni. In more recent times, Pope Francis was elected in 2013 on the fifth ballot, Benedict XVI won in 2005 on the fourth and Pope Pius XII won on the third in 1939. The longest conclave since the 20th century began took 14 rounds of balloting across five days, ending with the election of Pius XI in 1922. The shortest was the conclave that elected Pius XII in 1939, which took three ballots in two days. Cardinals must reach a two-thirds majority to elect a pope. That was somewhat easier in conclaves past: In 1922 there were just 53 voting cardinals, and until 1978 there were fewer than 100 each time. This year there were 133, so 89 votes were needed. Here's a look at the duration of conclaves in recent history, according to multiple sources including Catholic and other Italian publications: The duration of conclaves in recent history Here's a look at the duration of conclaves in recent history, according to multiple sources, including Catholic and other Italian publications:
