Encounter with Pope Benedict the XVI

Wednesday February 10

Wednesday began with an “Encounter” with Pope Benedict XVI. The Vatican calls this an encounter because in an audience only the Pope speaks. In this encounter Bishop Hanson brought a formal greeting (cut from 10 minutes to 3 - not easy for Hanson), followed by a prepared statement read by the Pope. Bishop Hanson presented a gift (he talked to the Pope for too long while presenting the gift and the Cardinal told him to sit down) after which we were invited to walk forward and greet the Pope individually. Normally this is the point at which the photographer shoots pictures of each person in such a small encounter. In this case, however, this was not allowed because we had a female bishop in our delegation and a picture of the Pope greeting a female bishop or female pastors might be misconstrued. Instead we gathered for a group picture.

John Brooks from the ELCA news service was not allowed to take photos (none of us were permitted to bring cameras). Only official Vatican photographers make take pictures. Once we were lined up for the group photo (in a particular order) then the photographer was brought in where he used his speed winder and fired off about six pictures in a second and a half. The Holy Father left and that was the end of that. All total of maybe 10 minutes.

Wednesday afternoon we met with leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rome and Italy. We visited their offices and dormitories where they about fifteen students. Here we had a chance to learn a little more about the Lutherans in Italy, a total of fifteen congregations in the country. We worshipped in the Lutheran Church in the heart of Rome, a beautiful church with lovely mosaic and fantastic pipe organ. In comparison to the Catholic Churches in Rome the church was small and spare, but compared to what we are accustomed to it was very ornate.