Tomorrow the Vatican will welcome the powers that be from all over the world. In addition to the Italian representatives (the president of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano, the head of government Mario Monti, the new presidents of the Chamber and Senate Laura Boldrini and Pietro Grasso, the president of the Constitutional Court Franco Gallo and the various ministers), they will meet to pay homage to the new Pontiff all world leaders.
US Vice President Joe Biden will be accompanied by the governor of New Mexico, Susan Martinez, and Nancy Pelosi (leader of the Democratic minority in the House). With them, also John DeGioia, president of the (Jesuit) University of Georgetown in Washington. From the countries of South and Central America, the Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, the president of Brazil Dilma Rousseff, the Chilean president Sebastian Pinera, the Paraguayan president Federico Franco and the Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto. Then, from Spain the prince of Asturias Felipe, the premier Mariano Rajoy from Portugal and from Germany the chancellor Angela Merkel.
There will be many representatives of the non-Catholic Christian Churches and those of the other Orthodox delegations. The Jewish representation was also very large: the chief rabbi of Rome, Riccardo di Segni, the president of the Community of Rome Riccardo Pacifici, Roberto Gattegna president of the Union of Italian Jewish communities and Oded Wiener director general of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. For Muslims, Mohamed Youssef Hajar (general secretary of the Islamic Organization of Latin America) and Imam Yahya Pallavicini of the Islamic religious community Coreis will be present.
All the powerful of the earth will bow before Pope Francis. The rites for the beginning of Cardinal Bergoglio's pontificate will begin at 9.30. Before the ceremonial complex and the delivery of the symbols of the ministry (the pastoral pallium and the Fisherman's Ring), the Pope will take a tour by jeep in St. Peter's Square.
