Vatican City, Apr 19, 2005 / 22:00 pm
This morning, after celebrating his first Mass as a Pope, Benedict XVI left the Vatican and went to visit the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith´s quarters, that he led for 24 years, where in a cordial encounter he greeted his collaborators in the dicastery.
When the car, whose license plate reads SCV1, arrived at the office, it was greeted by a large group of people who received him with applause and acclamations of “Viva il Papa".
On his first day as Pope, Benedict XVI and the cardinals who were gathered together posed for a photograph. He entered the papal apartment at the Apostolic Palace, which until that moment had been sealed off since the death of John Paul II. Currently it is not known when he will take residence at the apartment, preferring for the time being to stay at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where today he lunched with some collaborators from the Roman Curia. In the afternoon, he proceeded to his former apartment.
As has been announced, this Sunday April 24th at 10 am Rome time, Benedict XVI will preside the Solemn Eucharist to inaugurate his Pontificate. On Monday, April 25th, in the morning, he will receive the official delegations that attended the previous day’s ceremony.