Vicar of Rome Diocese requests many to attend Pope‘s last general audience

(Feb. 20, 2013) Cardinal Agostino Vallini Vicar of Rome Diocese, on Tuesday sent a letter to all the faithful of the diocese of Rome," urging them to gather around Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday, Feb. 27 in St. Peter's Square, for "the last General Audience of his pontificate". As head of the Catholic Church, the Pope is the bishop of Rome, successor of Peter - the first bishop of Rome.
Cardinal Vallini’s letter defines the general audience a "significant moment of the life of the Church and our diocese to express once again our love and our devotion to the Holy Father and to pray with him and for him to the Lord Jesus”.T he letter says “Our diocesan community in recent years has repeatedly experienced the paternal closeness of Pope Benedict which has never failed . It mentions his visits to local parishes when many were able to appreciate his meekness and gentleness of spirit. The prelate also asked everyone to invoke the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, on the cardinals who will elect the new Pope.