Latest News #314
May 6, 2005

The following news concerns Italy (the Papal Succession).

UBS presence at funeral and inauguration in Rome ‘evidence of the standing of UBS with the Vatican’

Dr Valdo Bertalot, General Secretary of the Bible Society in Italy, presenting Pope Benedict XVI with the Bible Society's latest ecumenical literary translation of Mark on April 25, 2005. Photo: BS Italy (ITA05DJ-1.JPG)

ITALY — The UBS Europe Middle East Area Secretary, Peter Wigglesworth, has described the representation of United Bible Societies at the events in Rome connected to the death of Pope John Paul II and the inauguration of Pope Benedict XVI as "evidence of the standing of UBS in the eyes of the Vatican".

Dr Valdo Bertalot, General Secretary of the Bible Society in Italy (BSI), represented both the national Bible Society and the global UBS fellowship at the funeral of Pope John Paul II on April 9 and at the inaugural mass of Pope Benedict XVI on April 24.

He also took part the following day in Pope Benedict's first audience, for foreign and non-Catholic guests.

" I had the opportunity to greet the Pope personally on behalf of UBS and BSI," said Dr Bertalot, "offering him BSI's latest ecumenical literary translation of the Gospel of Mark as an example of the UBS service to the Churches. He offered his warm thanks to UBS for the service, appreciating very much that the gift was given on the same day that the Catholic Church celebrates St Mark."

Mr Wigglesworth said Dr Bertalot's presence at the events was "evidence of the standing of the UBS in the eyes of the Vatican, and a consequence of all the work that he – and his father before him – have done to establish close ties with the Vatican on behalf of UBS".