Pope to Visit St. Benedict's Monastery

(May 23, 2009) The Pope is visiting the monastery founded by St Benedict whom he chose as his patron upon taking the name Benedict XVI. The Holy Father is travelling Sunday to Monte Cassino, the monastery St. Benedict founded that is the cradle of the Benedictine order. This visit commences with a Mass in the plaza of Cassino, the city just east of the monastery. The site of the Mass is going to be renamed after Benedict XVI. After Mass, the Pontiff is scheduled to inaugurate a "House of Charity" for homeless immigrants. The project is being carried out in a former hospital under the sponsorship of the abbot of Monte Cassino. The Pope is dedicating the second part of the day to the Benedictines, as the Bishop of Rome meets with abbots and abbesses from around the world, as well as a large number of monks and nuns. Finally, before his return to Rome, the Holy Father will visit the Polish cemetery, one of the cemeteries from World War II. This year marks 65 years since the bombing of the monastery in the Battle of Monte Cassino, also known as the Battle for Rome.