Vatican City, Jul 23, 2009 / 08:08 am
The Vatican press office has announced that tomorrow evening, Pope Benedict will preside at Vespers in both English and Italian at the cathedral of Aosta, Italy.
Following Vespers, the Holy Father is scheduled to give a homily before emerging on the cathedral’s balcony to bless the faithful present. On the return journey to his holiday villa at Les Combes, he will stop to greet the elderly at the retirement home of Introd.
Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., who is currently in Les Combes, has announced that Benedict XVI "is well and in good spirits. He is using a tape recorder to dictate his ideas as he finds it difficult to wield a pen, his right hand being in plaster because of his broken wrist."
Fr. Lombardi also indicated that the Holy Father takes two daily walks near the chalet in which he is staying, one after lunch and the other in the evening.
The press office director also explained that the Pope "makes regular phone calls to his brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger who, in a few day's time, will travel to Castelgandolfo to spend four weeks with the Pope."