Vatican Ceremony Watching

No doubt many of you will be watching with interest the ceremonies of the next few days from the Holy See. I certainly will be.

Paolo Rodari has this to say about what we might see in the ceremonies in the Vatican in the next few days on his blog, Palazzo Apostolico:

"For the Midnight Mass the papal throne is back, according to the tradition, it will be up seven steps. Benedict XVI will wear a chasuble embroidered for his birthday and a jewelled mitre. For the [Urbi et Orbi] blessing on Christmas day the Pope will wear a cope embroidered in gold that was John XXIII's together with a mitre of Pope Benedict XV... the "Urbi et Orbi" blessing will be given with the papal cross, namely [that with] three arms [or bars] that dates back to Leo XIII.