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Pope Benedict will be known as 'pontiff emeritus' after he retires and will keep his white cassock but give back red shoes, reveals Vatican
- Pope will be known as 'His Holiness' and will continue to wear white robes
- But he has to give up red leather shoes and will adopt brown loafers
- Timetable for Benedict's last two days in office revealed by spokesman
By HUGO GYE
Pope Benedict XVI may be looking forward to a well-earned retirement this week, but there is at least one thing he will surely miss about his current office - his flashy red shoes.
New details of how he will be treated after his retirement on Thursday emerged today, as it was revealed he will take the title of 'emeritus pope' and will continue to be called 'His Holiness'.
Although Benedict will no longer be allowed to wear the red leather shoes that are one of the most recognisable papal symbols, he will continue to wear the white robes which are associated with the Pope.
Snappy dresser: Pope Benedict XVI wearing his traditional red shoes while meeting then Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams during his visit to Britain in 2010
Losing out: His Holiness will no longer don his trademark footwear after he retires on Thursday
The pope's title and what he would wear have been a major source of speculation ever since Benedict stunned the world and announced he would resign on Thursday, the first pontiff to do so in 600 years.
Reverend Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman, said Benedict himself had made the decision in consultation with others, settling on 'Your Holiness Benedict XVI' and either 'emeritus pope' or 'emeritus Roman pontiff'.
In the two weeks since Benedict's resignation announcement, Vatican officials had suggested that Benedict would resume wearing the traditional black garb of a cleric and would use the title 'emeritus bishop of Rome' so as to not create confusion with the future pope.
Benedict's decision to call himself emeritus pope and to keep wearing white will fan concern voiced privately by some cardinals about the awkward reality of having two popes living within the Vatican walls.
Adding to the concern is the fact that Benedict's trusted secretary, Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, will be serving both pontiffs - living with Benedict at a monastery inside the Vatican and working in the new Pope's household.
Stepping down: Benedict leading Sunday prayers for the last time before leaving his office
Benedict has made it clear he is retiring to a lifetime of prayer and meditation 'hidden from the world'.
WHAT IS A 'POPE EMERITUS'?
Pope Emeritus is a title that has been coined to cover the near-unprecedented presence of a retired Pope.
The word 'emeritus' enables someone of status such as a professor who has handed over their position to retain their former rank in their title.
The Pope has two days left before he takes the historic step of becoming the first pontiff in six centuries to step down instead of ruling for life.
He will be known as 'pope emeritus Benedict XVI' or 'Roman Pontiff emeritus Benedict XVI', be addressed as 'Your Holiness', and be referred to as 'His Holiness Benedict XVI'.
This means that after the election of the new pope next month there will be two men with the title 'holiness' in the Vatican at the same time.
However, he still will be very present in the tiny Vatican city-state, where his new home is right next door to the Vatican Radio and has a view of the dome of St Peter's Basilica.
In the absence of his red shoes, Benedict has taken a liking to a pair of hand-crafted brown loafers made for him by artisans in Leon, Mexico, and given to him during his 2012 visit.
Mr Lombardi also elaborated on the College of Cardinals meetings that will take place after the papacy becomes vacant - crucial gatherings in which cardinals will discuss the problems facing the church and set a date for the start of the conclave to elect Benedict's successor.
The first meeting is not expected until Monday, since the official convocation to cardinals to come to Rome will only go out on Friday - the first day of what's known as the 'sede vacante,' or the vacancy between papacies.
In all, 115 cardinals under the age of 80 are expected in Rome for the conclave to vote on who should become the next pope.
Benedict yesterday gave the cardinals the go-ahead to move up the start date of the conclave, abolishing the traditional 15-day waiting period.
Preparations: A priest in St Peter's Square this week ahead of the Pope's retirement
Mr Lombardi also further described Benedict's final 48 hours as Pope. On Tuesday, he was packing, arranging for documents to be sent to the various archives at the Vatican and separating out the personal papers he will take with him into retirement.
On Wednesday, Benedict will hold his final public general audience in St Peter's Square - an event that has already seen 50,000 ticket requests.
On Thursday, the Pope meets with his cardinals in the morning and then flies by helicopter at 5pm to Castel Gandolfo, the papal residence south of Rome. He will greet parishioners there from the palazzo's loggia - his final public act as pope.
At 8pm, the exact time at which his retirement becomes official, the Swiss Guards standing outside the doors of the palazzo at Castel Gandolfo will go off duty, their service protecting the head of the Catholic Church now finished.
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