The Concistory which will be held on 18 February for the creation of new cardinals, the visit to Mexico and Cuba between 23 and 29 March and the Rites of Holy Week: these are the Pope’s main commitments for the next three months according to the calendar of liturgical celebrations to be presided by Benedict XVI, published today by the Vatican press.
The calendar includes the Pope’s visit to the Roman parish of San Giovanni Battista de la Salle in the Torrino quarter, on 4 March.
According to the calendar, the Vespers with monks and nuns for the celebration of the Day for Consecrated Life will be recited on Thursday 2 February, in the Vatican Basilica.
The Concistory for the election of new cardinals and the vote on some canonization causes will be held on Saturday 18 at 10:30, followed by a mass with new cardinals on Sunday 19.
On Ash Wednesday on 22 February, there will be a procession from the Church of St. Anselm to the Basilica of St. Sabina on the Aventine, where the Pope will celebrate mass with the imposition of the ashes.
There will be a pause between Sunday 26 February and Saturday 3 March, while the Roman Curia completes the Spiritual Exercises.
Then on Sunday 4 there will be a mass in the Roman parish in the Torrino quarter.
The Pope will hold yet another mass in the City of Rome on Saturday 10 March, where he will preside over the Vespers in the Basilica of San Gregorio al Celio, on the occasion of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s visit.
Between 23 and 29 March, Benedict XVI will be in Mexico and Cuba and will return to Rome straight after this to celebrate the Easter rites: Pal Sunday mass on Sunday 1 April in St. Peter’s Square, the Chrism mass on Thursday 5 April in the Vatican Basilica and the mass “in coema Domini” in the Basilica of St. John Lateran.
On 6 April there will be an afternoon celebration for Holy Friday in the Vatican Basilica and in the evening the customary Via Crucis will take place in the Coloseum.
On 7 April the Holy Saturday Easter vigil will take place in St. Peter’s and on Easter Sunday on Sunday 8, there will be a mass in St. Peters’ Square, followed by the “Urbi et Orbi” blessing.