Bishop of Aosta shares details behind Pope’s Alpine vacation

Rome, Italy, Jul 15, 2009 / 12:16 pm

Bishop Giuseppe Anfossi has revealed details about Pope Benedict XVI’s vacation in the Italian town of Aosta and said the local residents are pleased to have the Pontiff with them until July 29.

In an interview with L’Osservatore Romano, the bishop said, “We haven’t prepared anything special or spectacular” for the Pope.  “We want to respect his quiet time. We’ll see him if and when he wants. The people are happy just to have him here and they welcome him as if they were hosting him in their own homes.”
 
The Holy Father, he said, “will enjoy the wonders of this land, in serenity and tranquility.  Everyone will be able to see him on Sunday morning when he recites the Angelus with us.”
 
Bishop Anfossi said the retreat house where the Pope is staying will allow him “to live immersed in nature and almost in isolation.  It is a small building that can also house whatever staff is strictly necessary.”
 
He noted the location is away from any tourist areas and provides access to the many nearby mountain trails where the Pontiff will be able to take quiet walks. “When the Pope eats lunch he will have a spectacular view of Mount Blanco before him,” the bishop added.
 
He also said a piano has been installed in the house for the Pope to play and that the library has been updated with a number of new titles for the Pontiff to peruse.
 
“The only thing I have asked the Pope is that before he leaves, if he could meet with the priests, religious and lay representatives of the Diocese of Aosta,” Bishop Anfossi said.