The Italian cardinal leading Pope Benedict XVI’s Lenten retreat has stolen the limelight by tweeting and podcasting his reflections, signaling that detachment from the outside world doesn’t have to mean a total media blackout.
The high-flying papal retreat preacher Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi is tweeting his talks in Italian and English Twitter accounts, @CardRavasi and @CardRavasi_en.
Cardinal Ravasi, 70, began the spiritual reflections Feb. 17 by describing Pope Benedict’s future role in the church after his resignation as being a presence “like that of Moses, who climbs the hill to pray for the people of Israel.”
The pope and top officials from the Roman Curia suspend their normal schedules to gather each morning and afternoon in the Redemptoris Mater Chapel for common prayer, eucharistic adoration and 17 meditations.
The pope chose papabili, Cardinal Ravasi, who is president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, for this year’s weeklong retreat.
Vatican Radio is posting the audio of the cardinal’s complete meditations in Italian.
Vatican spokesman Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi has said Benedict will not play nay role in the upcoming election of a new pope.
Sources
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