Pope Benedict Tuesday expressed condolences for 169 lives lost in two separate and recent tragedies - one a train explosion that claimed 16 lives in Italy and the second an air accident over the Indian Ocean involving 153 passengers.

The Pope sent a telegram to the people of Viareggio, a city in northern Italy on the Mediterranean, where a freight train carrying gas was derailed and exploded in the town Monday night. Fires broke out and homes collapsed due to the explosion, killing at least 12 people, and injuring some 50 others. The number has since risen to 16 dead. Rescuers are still searching for missing villagers. The Holy Father’s message, sent through the secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, to Archbishop Benvenuto Italo Castellani of Lucca, expressed his "heartfelt participation in the suffering afflicting the entire city." "While giving assurances of his fervent prayers for the souls of those who have so tragically died,” said the telegram, “the Holy Father invokes from the Lord a speedy recovery for the injured and, entrusting those affected by this dramatic event to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary, he sends a special and consoling apostolic blessing."

The Holy Father sent a second telegram through Cardinal Bertone to Archbishop Paul-Mounged El-Hachem, apostolic nuncio to Kuwait, to Yemen and several other Arab nations, expressing sorrow for the crash of a Yemeni plane carrying 153 passengers. The plane Tuesday morning was attempting to land in the Comoros, a group of islands between Africa and Madagascar, when it crashed into the Indian Ocean. The Yemenia Airways plane was en route from Saana, Yemen, and included 66 French nationals who originated in Paris and were on their way to the former French colony of Comoros. The Pope expressed condolences and prayers for families of the victims and entrusted the deceased to God's mercy. One 14-year old girl remained afloat for 13 hours and was rescued at sea alive.

FUTURE AUDIENCE CATECHESES TO FOCUS ON ST. JOHN MARY VIANNEY

Wednesday, the Year for Priests was again the theme of the Holy Father's catechesis during his general audience in St. Peter's Square. He said he hoped this special year may serve “for the inner renewal of all priests” and “for the revitalization of their commitment to the mission."

The Pope announced that his catecheses in coming months will focus on St. John Mary Vianney, the Cure of Ars, on the 150th anniversary of his death. “What most stands out in the life of this saint,” said Benedict XVI, "is his complete identification with his ministry. He used to say that a good pastor, a pastor after God's heart, is the greatest treasure the good Lord can give a parish." He explained that, “in the life of a priest, missionary announcement and worship are inseparable, just as sacramental identity and evangelizing mission are inseparable." He said, "having received such an extraordinary gift of grace with their consecration, priests become permanent witnesses of their own encounter with Christ", and "are able to carry out their mission to the full, announcing the Word and administering the Sacraments.”

"Following Vatican Council II," Pope Benedict added, "in some places the impression arose that there were more important things in the mission of priests in our time: some people believed that the priority was to build a new society." Yet, he stated, "the two essential elements of priestly ministry" always remain "announcement and power,” in other words, "Word and Sacrament, the pillars of priestly service."

"The low numbers of priestly ordinations in some countries,” he concluded, “not only must not discourage us, it should stimulate us to dedicate greater space to silence and to listening to the Word, to improving spiritual guidance and the Sacrament of Confession, so that the voice of God, which always continues to call and to confirm, may be heard and followed by many young people."

After the catechesis, the Pope addressed representatives of the Italian National Anti-Usury Council, thanking them for the "important and much appreciated work you carry our with victims of this social blight. … My hope, he added, "is that there be a renewed commitment on everyone's part effectively to combat the devastating phenomenon of usury and extortion, which constitutes a humiliating form of slavery. On the part of the State may there be no lack of appropriate aid and support for families in difficulties who find the courage to denounce those who take advantage of their often tragic situation".

BENEDICT’S ENCYCLICAL “CARITAS IN VERITATE” DUE JULY 7

The Vatican announced Wednesday that Pope Benedict’s much-anticipated third encyclical, “Caritas in veritate,” will be presented in the Vatican press office on Monday July 7. Presiding at the conference to present and discuss the encyclical will be Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, Bishop Giampaolo Crepaldi, secretary of Justice and Peace, and Stefano Zamagni, full professor of political economy at the University of Bologna and consultor to the Council for Justice and Peace.

At the Angelus on Monday, June 29, following Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica when he conferred palliums on 34 metropolitan archbishops, the Pope said the encyclical was “very close to publication.” He told the thousands of faitnful gathered in St. Peter’s Square that day that the encyclical “takes up the social themes contained in Pope Paul VI’s 1967 document, Populorum Progressio, and intends to delve more deeply into several aspects of the integral development of our era in the light of charity.” Many expected him to use Pope John Paul’s 1991 encyclical, “Centesimus Annus” as a reference point for “Caritas in veritate,” and were interested to learn that he drew inspiration from Paul VI’s document of 42 years ago.

An encyclical takes its title from the first several words of the document, the original of which is in Latin.

Benedict said he entrusted to the prayers of the faithful “this further contribution that the Church offers to mankind in her commitment to sustainable progress in full respect for human dignity and the real needs of everyone.” The Pope has been working on this encyclical since 2007 and, with the ever changing economic crisis, he has been adding considerations to the document as developments occur. His first encyclical, "God is Love," was issued in 2006 and his second, "Saved by Hope," was released in 2007.

”PAIN WAS JOHN PAUL’S BELOVED THRONE, GEMELLI HOSPITAL AN ALTAR”

A statue of Pope John Paul, worn out by age, his arms tightly holding the crucifix, and his head slightly bent, was unveiled Tuesday evening in front of the Gemelli Polyclinic, a Rome hospital where the late pontiff was hospitalized nine times in his nearly 27-year pontificate. The statue, called “Non abbiate paura” - “Do not be afraid” – was unveiled by Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow, Poland, John Paul’s personal secretary, friend and confidante for nearly 40 years.

Italian news agencies report that Cardinal Dziwisz said: “If I were asked if John Paul II would be happy to be portrayed here, I would say without hesitation: yes, the Pope is happy to keep company, night and day, to people who are sick, who suffer in their flesh and spirit, who are uncertain about their future, who hope and who pray.” John Paul’s former secretary added: “Pain was his beloved throne. For him, it was a sort of calling within a calling, a tune which ran through all his ministry. That’s why, in the eyes of the world, the Policlinico has become a sort of altar in which John Paul II gave his own life.”

THE SUBLIME BEAUTY OF ST. PETER’S BASILICA, THE MAJESTY OF THE DOME

Here are more of the photos I took in St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday, June 29th, the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles and patrons of Rome, during the pallium ceremony presided over by Pope Benedict XVI. On Monday I brought you photos of the ceremony, including several of the Holy Father and the archbishops receiving the pallium.

Today I bring you the splendor, the majesty and the magic of this basilica in several photos take around the main altar area – the Altar of the Confessio – and Michelangelo’s undescribably breathtaking dome. The first three are in sequence – and the last of these three is my favorite – the uppermost part of the dome!

Here is a closer look inside the dome.

A mosaic above the Bernini canopy:

The piece de resistance is the papal altar of the Confessio, or confession, so-called because it was erected over the burial place of one who confessed his faith to the point of martyrdom. The altar draws our attention from the first moment that we enter the basilica, but now we are truly enraptured as we stand in front of it, studying its grandiose, yet simple majesty, reflecting on the many papal Masses that have been celebrated there, and pondering the man buried below, the simple fisherman from Galilee whom Christ called to be "a fisher of men" for the Kingdom. Here is the top of the 29-meter high gilt bronze baldacchino:

There are 39 niches carved into the columns in the nave, the transept and apse: they contain statues (most of which date from the 18th and 19th centuries) of the saints who founded religious orders, Here is one such niche near the altar – it seems like a Passionist Father to me – perhaps it is St. Paul of the Cross, founder of the Passionists:

There are four utterly immense piers that surround the altar and support the dome: this balcony (with an other photographer) is one of four such balconies on those piers.

A close-up of part of the baldacchino, altar and flowers:

Christ’s words to Peter - “To you I give the keys” (of the Kingdom of Heaven) - as they appear in the mosaics at the base of the dome:

The statue of St. Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, in one of the four niches in the four supporting piers:

Mass was over, chairs were being taken down, kneelers put away and the altar dismantled. I photographed the Book of Gospels and the thurible as they were being carted away.

Write to Joan at:
joansrome@ewtn.com