Pope Benedict XVI is to be granted honorary citizenship of Introd, the Italian alpine town which includes Les Combes, site of the Salesian-owned chalet where he broke his wrist two weeks ago during his July holiday.The announcement was made by Osvaldo Naudin, mayor of Introd, who explained that the decision was taken unanimously at a meeting of the town council held last week.
The pontiff fractured his wrist at Les Combes after a fall on 17 July. After having surgery his arm was placed in a cast and doctors have said his wrist is healing well.
Papal spokesman Federico Lombardi said the Pope had stumbled against his bed while searching for the light switch in the unfamiliar room at the mountain house in Les Combes.
The 82 year-old pontiff has spent two previous July holidays at Introd in Italy's Valle D'Aosta region - in 2005 and 2006. The town has hosted papal summer holidays on a total of thirteen occasions.
The Les Combes chalet is made of wood and stone, has two floors and is surrounded by a large garden. It sits at an altitude of 1,200 meters and has stunning views over France's Mont Blanc and other mountains on the French-Italian frontier as well as the Italian-Swiss Alps.
The conferral of Benedict's honorary citizenship of Introd will take place in Rome later this year, probably in December, when a delegation from Introd makes a traditional visit to the Vatican to wish the Pope a happy Christmas.
Benedict will stay at Les Combes, about 20 kilometres from the city of Aosta, until 29 July.
Following his vacation in Valle d'Aosta, the Pope will move to his summer residence of Castelgandolfo, 30 kilometres south of Rome, where he will remain until the end of September.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to us or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that we agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Source (AKI)
SV (ED)