Papal Household

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Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI will return to the Vatican on Wednesday, 1 May 2013

http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/vaticano/dettaglio-articolo/articolo/papa-el-papa-pope-bergoglio-ratzinger-24332/

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According to the original Italian language article of the Vatican Insider/La Stampa above, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI will return to the Vatican from his stay in Castel Gandolfo, the Papal summer residence on Wednesday, 1 May 2013.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had stayed at Castel Gandolfo since his retirement as reigning Pope of the Church on 28 February 2013, 2 months earlier. He will be staying in the former Mater Ecclesiae monastery which was originally a cloister for nuns, and now vacated to accomodate the Pope Emeritus and his assistants, which include the current Prefect of Papal Household, Archbishop Georg Ganswein, who is also Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s private secretary.

This will make the work better for Archbishop Ganswein as in his capacity as both the private secretary to the Pope Emeritus and the Prefect of Papal Household, he had to travel daily between the Vatican and Castel Gandolfo.

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(Above : Archbishop Georg Ganswein, current Prefect of the Papal Household and private secretary to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI)

May God bless our dear Pope Emeritus, bless him with good health, that he will continue to pray for our Church, and that the reforms that he had begun in the liturgy, worship, and new evangelisation can continue to flourish and grow.

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Sede Vacante : Which offices are suspended, which ones has important roles and which remains in place during the sede vacante

http://www.gcatholic.org/events/sede-vacante.htm

A superb collection and data collated by GCatholic site, on the list of all offices that are suspended during the Sede Vacante period (that is between the vacancy of the Apostolic See by the death or resignation of the previous Pope, and the election of a new Pope).

The suspended offices are mainly the prefects of the Congregations of the Roman Curia (example : Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith), presidents of the Pontifical Councils (example : Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace), and many other members and offices of the Roman Curia. The new Pope will be able to either confirm them to continue in their respective offices, or choose to replace them with his own preferred candidates.

The offices that continue to be exercised during the Sede Vacante, include the offices that has important roles in the Sede Vacante period and the Conclave, such as the Camerlengo, the Vice-Camerlengo (who seals the papal apartments and destroy the Ring of the Fisherman), several other officers of the Roman Curia, head of the Papal Household (currently Archbishop Georg Ganswein), all the Apostolic Nuncios, Apostolic Delegates, and other diplomatic representatives of the Holy See, whose diplomatic authority remains even during the Sede Vacante.

Amongst the Cardinals themselves and some other officials, there are special duties that they are supposed to carry out during the Conclave, which includes the Cardinal-electors by their order (Bishop, priest, or deacon), in the running of the Conclave, the Papal Master of Ceremonies (currently Monsignor Guido Marini), who is the one stating the ‘extra omnes’ order officially beginning the lockdown of the Conclave, and other offices.