In his first day as leader of the Catholic church, Pope Francis left the Vatican grounds in a car that wasn't a limousine and proceeded to a nearby hotel to pick up his luggage and pay the bill for the room he occupied over the last several days.
The pope also prayed and, along the way, waved to passing children before arriving at the Vila della Scrofa.
"He decided to stop at the Via della Scrofa, the Priests' Residence, right near Piazza navona. He wanted to get his luggage and his bags," Vatican spokesman Thomas Rosica told reporters Thursday.
The Vatican says a trip planned to visit his predecessor, Benedict XVI, was rescheduled for another day. Instead, Pope Francis spent time preparing for his first mass in the Sistine Chapel before his cardinal electors and a crowd, which watched mass on large TVs placed in St. Peter's Square.
As he presided over mass, another first for the first Pope Francis, he said his homily in Italian instead of the traditional Latin.
The Vatican urged people not to try to determine what the new pope's priorities were based on one homily alone, but to instead reflect on his first few.
Timothy Cardinal Dolan of New York on Thursday said Pope Francis will provide a booster shot to the church in the Americas.
"Where he comes from is gravy, and we got a lot of good gravy with a man coming now from Latin American. You're talking about a booster shot to the church in the Americas. This is going to be a real blessing," Cardinal Dolan said.
Monday, March 11 2013 11:38 AM EDT2013-03-11 15:38:14 GMT
The congregation of cardinals is scheduled to meet Monday to discuss preliminary work and church agendas as they draw closer to scheduling a date for selecting a new pope, FOX News reports.
The congregation of cardinals is scheduled to meet Monday to discuss preliminary work and church agendas as they draw closer to scheduling a date for selecting a new pope, FOX News reports.
Monday, March 11 2013 11:37 AM EDT2013-03-11 15:37:42 GMT
On the day that Pope Benedict XVI stepped down-- the first pope to resign his position in 600 years-- Catholics in Philadelphia thanked God for his service, and prayed for his successor.
On the day that Pope Benedict XVI stepped down-- the first pope to resign his position in 600 years-- Catholics in Philadelphia thanked God for his service, and prayed for his successor.
Saturday, May 25 2013 11:35 PM EDT2013-05-26 03:35:51 GMT
Police were called to the upscale home of Philadelphia Attorney Charles Peruto Jr. after investigators say a maintenance man found the body of a 26-year-old woman upside down in a bathtub. The discovery
Police are investigating a body found in the home of a well-known Philadelphia attorney.
Saturday, May 25 2013 9:06 PM EDT2013-05-26 01:06:21 GMT
Jasmine Moore should be getting ready to celebrate her 15th birthday Sunday. Instead she and several relatives are nursing burn wounds they suffered after fire ripped through their Cobbs Creek home.
A critically injured child along with her relatives are recovering at CHOP after an early morning fire. They say if not for a quick thinking family member things could have been a lot worse.
Saturday, May 25 2013 11:00 AM EDT2013-05-25 15:00:47 GMT
A South New Jersey business owner comes face to face with a suspected robber threatening him with a knife. Thanks to his 7-year-old family pet, the crook ran off.
A South New Jersey business owner comes face to face with a suspected robber threatening him with a knife. Thanks to his 7-year-old family pet, the crook ran off.
Friday, May 24 2013 7:08 PM EDT2013-05-24 23:08:04 GMT
Busy planning your cook-out or trip down the shore this Memorial Day Weekend? Don't forget about the men and women for whom the holiday is observed.
Busy planning your cook-out or trip down the shore this Memorial Day Weekend? Don't forget about the men and women for whom the holiday is observed. FOX 29's Bruce Gordon spent a day with folks preparing a veterans' cemetery for its day in the spotlight.
Pope Francis celebrates his first mass at the Sistine Chapel in Rome.
