More from Washington Papal Vespers

Before we get started with the coverage of this morning's papal Mass at Washington, here are some more pictures of yesterday's Vespers at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, and of the - brilliant - address and Q&A which the Pontiff held afterwards and of which we had not seen pictures so far. For the allocution he put on choir dress, which consisted of the white Easter mozzetta - which we may now firmly assume will be worn throughout Eastertide - and the corresponding white Easter stole. This was only the second Easter stole we have seen since Paul VI, and it was, as can be see from the coat of arms, a stole of pope Leo XIII (1878-1903).

Vespers:












The address. You can just make out Leo XIII's pine tree in a field of azure with the fleurs-de-lis, the comet and the fess argent in the first and last two pictures (click on them to enlarge).






For comparison - this is the coat of arms of Leo XIII from the New Reading Room of the Vatican Secret Archives: