The Apostolic Palace and Another Cardinal

You may have thought that what we did this morning was enough excitement for one day. I would agree. However, we were blessed with even more excitement this afternoon.

We met two priests (an Italian and an American) who are on staff at the Secretariat of State . We met them at the "Porta Santa Anna" and they guided us into the Apostolic Palace.

The Apostolic Palace is the residence for the Holy Father as well the building which houses some of the offices of the curia. (When you approach St. Peter's through the Square, the Palace is the tall set of buildings to your right just outside of the colonnade.) Some notable parts of the Palace are the Vatican Museum, Library, Archives and the Sistine Chapel.

Our priest guides showed us around on a high floor and into the office of the Secretariat of State (the Secretariat [Secretary] is H.E. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone). The priests also talked with us about the palace, some history and duties of the Secretariat of State.

Our own Coadjutor Archbishop John C. Nienstedt served in this office prior to becoming a bishop. Also, keep in mind that to visit the Apostolic Palace as we did is not something normally open to the public, so this was very special for all of us.

On the way out of Vatican City, we met Pio Cardinal Laghi, who is Prefect Emeritus for the Congregation for Catholic Education. During the 1980's Cardinal Laghi was Apostolic Delegate and then Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to the USA. His Eminence is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of St. Thomas. It was a brief and unplanned visit.

Here are a few photos:

Behind this door is the Holy Father's apartment (this is as close as we were able to get to Benedict XVI):



Where the Holy Father's car pulls up when he comes and goes:



Some views we had:





A sample of the world plat which is painted on the walls of the corridor leading up to the Secretariat of State:



Our group with the kind priests from the Secretariat of State (taken from the terrace):



At the far end of this building is the Holy Father's window from which he addresses the faithful in St. Peter's Square:



Remember this one I posted a while back from just ouside the Square? Same building, different vantage point: