First of all, here is a photograph of the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller, flanked by Mgr Keith Newton, Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, and Mgr Jeffrey Steenson, Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, celebrating Holy Mass in St Peter’s basilica on the morning of the Holy Father’s retirement, 28th February 2013.
The following screenshots are from French Catholic KTO.TV’s coverage of the last day of the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI:
Apostolic Palace with San Damaso Courtyard
Pope leaving Papal apartments
16:50 – Pope leaves Apostolic Palace
The Papal car leaves Palace (San Damaso Courtyard) for last time
The Camerlengo, Cardinal Bertone, seals the Papal apartments
Last farewell before boarding the helicopter
17.05 -Helicopter leaves Vatican in direction of Castelgandolfo
Pope Benedict XVI bids farewell from the balcony of Castelgandolfo – will we ever see him again?
20:00 – Swiss Guards symbolically close the gates of Castelgandolfo – a pontificate ends !!
David,
You wrote: First of all, here is a photograph of the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller, flanked by Mgr Keith Newton, Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, and Mgr Jeffrey Steenson, Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, celebrating Holy Mass in St Peter’s basilica on the morning of the Holy Father’s retirement, 28th February 2013.
Wow! I’m amazed that the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is taking time to meet with the ordinaries at what has to be a very busy time for the curia. On the last days of the papacy, one would expect the curia to be quite busy with any “last minute” details requiring the outgoing pope’s approval.
Or, on second thought, perhaps there was business pertaining to the ordinariates that needed papal approval before the resignation took effect? Here, I’m thinking in particular of rescripts dispensing from celibacy for the former Anglican clergy who are now preparing for Catholic ordination. The ordinariates cannot start making plans for masses of ordination until they receive the rescripts for the respective candidates.
Norm.