Rome, Italy, Aug 1, 2008 / 11:30 am
The Vatican Television Center (CTV) aired the first images of Pope Benedict XVI comfortably enjoying his vacation this week, together with his brother Georg in the city of Bressanone in northern Italy.
“The Holy Father spends his days in prayer, rest, study and playing the piano,” said an official from the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone.
The Pope wakes up at six in the morning, celebrates Mass, has breakfast and then divides his time between reading and writing at the famous library of the 400 year-old seminary and walks outside in the gardens. The Holy Father rests briefly after lunch and then spends more time reading and studying. “Only his walks in the garden and the piano interrupt his intellectual activities,” the official said.
He normally takes his walks with his 84 year-old brother Georg, with whom he exchanges ideas and jokes in their native language of German.
The images aired by CTV showed the Pope standing in front of a statue of Mary and the child Jesus and seated on a bench in the gardens praying the rosary.
The next public appearance by the Holy Father will be this coming Sunday for the recitation of the Angelus.