Too bad the OR never provides photos of these interesting sidelights...
Sidelights from the GA:
The Pope gets a miraculous hawthorn
that has flowered in mid-January
for the past seven centuries
Translated from the 12/16/10 issue of
They came en masse from Citta di Castello for the Pope's catechesis on 'their' saint, Veronica Giuliani.
"Love and solidarity, key words for the mystic who is so loved by our people," said Bishop Domenico Cancian, "are also the pastoral coordinates for the diocese which safeguards her legacy. Benedict XVI's catechesis today will be the guide for the Jubilee Year decreed for the 350th anniversary of St. Veronica's birth, which will open with a Mass on December 27 celebrated by all the visits of the region of Umbria".
From London, Mons. Andrew Summersgill came with other members of the organizing committee for the Pope's visit last September, to present the Pope with two DVDs: one of the visit itself, and a second dedicated specifically to the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman.
Then, there was the governor of the Mexican state of Guanajuato, Juan Manuel Oliva Ramirez, who presented the Pope with the Nativity scene set up on the stage of the Aula Paolo VI which was designed and executed by Mexican artisans in the tradition of their state,
A delegation of citizens from Gualdo Tadini, another Umbrian city located between Perugia and Gubbio, presented the Pope with a hawthron bush for the Vatican Gardens, from a species that since 1342, has flowered inexplicably and punctually in mid-January.
Tradition has it that on the death of Blessed Angelo, who was a devout hermit, the hawthorn bushes along his funeral route miraculously burst into bloom despite the fact that it was January 14 (mid-winter).
The children of Italian Catholic Action (Azione Cattolica Ragazzi, ACR) were back to greet the Holy Father, this time with a 'special gift': Beatrice of San Benedetto del Tronto, and Leonardo and Rebecca of Tivoli, gave him ACR ID Card No. 1, a gesture particularly gratifying for the 83-year-old Pope.
The Pope also greeted members of the Commission
Quo principia of the Congregation for Divine Worship who are translating the Roman Missal into German.
Two new books were given to the Pope. The first is dedicated to the Martyrology of the Church 'in the Second World War and under Communism', presented by Fr. Ante Bakovic, who was a witness to the Communist persecutions himself. He was accompanied by the Bishop of Sartajevo, Cardinal Pulijic.
Journalist and author Andrea Tornielli presented the Pope with the book
Benedetto XVI, il Papa della gioia, published by SystemEuropa in a limited edition of 500 copies.
Fr. Giuseppe Colombara, director of the Osservatore Romano photogrpahic sefvice, presented the Pope with a diary book for 2011 illustrated by the most significant photos from the Or archives.
Before all the above, however, four brothers - Erdeo, Natale, Andrea and Ivan Pellegrini - 'body balance' artists of international fame - gave a brief performance for the Pope. They are among the participants of a current congress in Rome on the pastoral care of circus workers under the auspices of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerant Workers.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 19/12/2010 00:30]