Popes On Vacation
Posted by Rebecca Teti in Faith on Friday, October 03, 2008 2:00 PM
L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, recently ran a wonderful interview with the director of the pontifical villas in Castel Gandalfo, Italy.
Here it is in translation (after a brief introduction).
It includes delightful personal tidbits about the popes of the past 50 years.
For example:
Pius XII had opened the doors of the Villas to provide refuge for those trying to flee from the German round-ups during the days when the Allies were landing in Anzio. There were also many of the mothers whom the pope had allowed to use his bedroom, because they were pregnant. Fifty children were born in that room.
John XXIII delighted in disappearing.
One Sunday morning, we got a telephone call informing us that the pope was in Anzio. You can imagine our surprise, since we all thought he was in his apartment. Later, an excited voice told us he was in Nettuno. After that, we were told that the pope had been seen at the lake. You can just imagine what that morning was like for us! He came back, calm as can be, in time to lead the recitation of the Angelus from the balcony.
There are moving remembrances, too, of Paul VI and John Paul II (who played with employees’ children). I liked this one-liner from the latter, about the minor controversy stirred up by his installation of a little pool on the premises.
I remember that once, when he was commenting on the criticism about the expense of building the pool, he humorously said: “A conclave would cost a lot more.”
Life with Benedict XVI can mean nightly concerts:
it is very enjoyable to hear him play the piano. Of course, he is not the first pope to play an instrument. For example, Pius XII played the violin, but he never played it here in the Villas, or at least not that anyone could hear. But now we have the chance to hear, usually in the evening, sonatas by Mozart, Bach, or Beethoven, played by the pope. This makes us very happy, because it means that Benedict XVI really feels at home here.
I was interested to learn, too, that there’s a little farm on the grounds that provides milk, eggs and other items for the Vatican.
Take a virtual tour of Castel Gandolfo here (scroll down).
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