Vatican City (Fides Service) - On Sunday 24 April at 10am in St Peter’s Square Pope Benedict XVI presided a solemn celebration of Mass which marked the beginning of his ministry as Successor of St Peter. Some 155 cardinals and 5 patriarchs concelebrated with the Pope. Present at the liturgy besides 600 bishops, 500 priests, there were 141 official national delegations and representatives of Orthodox Churches, other Christian Churches and other religions. The mass was attended by about 500,000 people from all over the world who overflowed from St Peter’s square into the adjacent streets where they watched the mass on large screens.
Before the Mass the Holy Father and concelebrating Cardinals prayed at the tomb of St Peter inside the basilica. During the Mass, following the reading of the Gospel, the Pope received two signs of his ministry the Pallium and Fisherman’s Ring. Then, representing Catholics all over the world, a group of 12 people promised obedience to Benedict XVI. The group consisted of three cardinals, a bishop, a priest, a deacon, a Brother and Sister, a married couple from Korea and two young people recently confirmed, one from Sri Lanka, the other from Democratic Congo. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 25/4/2005, righe 16, parole 213)