Pope asks for prayers of pilgrims

POPE Benedict XVI formally began his stewardship of the Roman Catholic Church yesterday, reaching out to Jews, other Christians and “non-believers alike”.

He also asked for prayers from the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and dignitaries gathered in St Peter’s Square as he assumes “this enormous task”.

The former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was known as the iron hand enforcing Church orthodoxy, made clear in his installation homily that as Pope, he would listen along with the Church to the will of God in governing the world’s 1.1 billion Catholics.

Wearing golden vestments and clutching his pastoral staff, Benedict began the ceremony by processing into the area under St Peter’s Basilica where St Peter is believed to be buried, paying homage to the first Pope and blessing the tomb with incense as a choir chanted.

He ended the Mass by riding through the crowds, standing and waving from a white, open-topped vehicle surrounded by plain-clothed guards. The faithful reached out to him and snapped pictures of him as bells rang.

In 1978, John Paul II walked to the crowds after his installation. However, security worries - and memories of the 1981 assassination attempt against the late Pontiff - have placed limits on papal movements. Still, the vehicle Benedict rode in was similar to the one John Paul was shot in, without bulletproof glass windows to protect him.

In one of the most symbolic moments of the Mass, Benedict was given his Fisherman’s Ring and a woollen pallium or shawl - both symbols of his Papal authority. The ring is emblazoned with an image of Peter casting his fishing nets and was traditionally used to seal apostolic letters. The pallium - a narrow shawl of white lamb and sheep’s wool embroidered with five silk crosses - symbolises the Pope’s role as a shepherd taking care of his flock. The pallium was pierced by three golden pins to symbolise the nails driven into the cross on which Christ was crucified, and the red colour of the crosses is for Christ’s blood.

Looking tired and coughing several times, Benedict was interrupted by applause several times during his homily, particularly when he invoked his predecessor, John Paul II. “And now, at this moment, weak servant of God that I am, I must assume this enormous task, which truly exceeds all human capacity,” he said.

He quoted John Paul in his inaugural homily in 1978, in which the late Pope said: “Do not be afraid!”

In his homily, Benedict made clear he wanted to reach out to other Christians, delivering “special greetings” to them as well as to Jews “to whom we are joined by a great shared spiritual heritage”.

“Finally, like a wave gathering force, my thoughts go out to all men and women of today, to believers and non-believers alike.”

In one of his first acts, Benedict had invited Rome’s chief rabbi to the installation ceremony. The rabbi, Riccardo di Segni, couldn’t attend because of the Passover holiday which began Saturday. Benedict’s effort to reach out to the Jews was as significant because of his own past: he has acknowledged being a member of Hitler Youth and was drafted to serve in the German army.

The Vatican said 350,000 people were in and around St Peter’s Square and civil protection forces said at least another 50,000 were watching the Mass on giant television screens set up nearby.