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| Relaxed: The former Pope was seen walking in the grounds of Castel Gandolfo wearing a white baseball cap days after his retirement |
Dressed all in white and complete with the matching cap, the Emeritus pope looks like he is enjoying every minute of his retirement.
The picture was published in the infamous glossy Italian weekly Chi, the same magazine that ran pictures of a topless Duchess of Cambridge on holiday in France.
Relaxed: The former Pope was seen walking in the
grounds of Castel Gandolfo wearing a white baseball cap days after his
retirement
American cardinals who had been scheduled to hold their third media briefing in as many days cancelled it less than an hour before it was to have started at Rome's North American College, where they are staying.
A spokeswoman for the American cardinals said 'concern' was expressed at Wednesday's closed-door meeting 'about leaks of confidential proceedings reported in Italian newspapers'.
As the meetings were delayed in Rome, the ex Pope Benedict XVI, 85, was pictured walking with the aid of a stick through the gardens of his summer residence at Castelgandolfo on the outskirts of Rome where he will be living until his new apartment - a renovated convent in the grounds of the Vatican are ready.
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| Favourite hat: The former Pope is pictured wearing the hat on a walk in the palace grounds back in 2010 |
Favourite hat: The former Pope is pictured wearing the hat on a walk in the palace grounds back in 2010
A second photograph saw the former Pope being joined on his walk by a group of housekeepers.
The Vatican revealed last week he had enjoyed an evening of watching television before having a night of 'serene and peaceful' sleep.
The former First Leader of the Catholic Church will live at Castel Gandolfo for several weeks, sleeping in a bed just 75cm wide and without a canopy, unlike the one the much grander one slept in over his eight years as pope.
He will then move to a specially prepared apartment at a convent in the Vatican.
The retired pontiff has reportedly taken with him a number theology books as well as music to listen to.
He was also hoping to play the piano - one of his favourite pastimes - in the evenings.
Retirement: The former Pope pictured blessing his followers for the last time as he arrived at Castel Gandolfo last Thursday
Emotional: Thousands of people gathered to hear the Pope's final address last Thursday
Farewell: The former Pontiff left the Vatican in a helicopter after making his last speech as Pope last week
Sistine Chapel closes: Master of Liturgical
Celebrations Archbishop Piero Marini closes the door of the Sistine
Chapel
All but two of the 115 'cardinal electors' aged under 80 have arrived for the meetings, the Vatican said.
The preliminary meetings are taking place as the crisis involving sexual abuse of children by priests and inappropriate behaviour among adult clerics continues to haunt the Church and has rarely been out of the headlines.
Under Church law the cardinals have until March 20 to start a conclave to choose a new pope to lead the 1.2 billion-member Church.
While many observers had expected the conclave to begin as early as this Sunday or Monday, there have been increasing indications that the cardinals want more time to ponder who among them might be best to lead a Church beset by crises.
Several of the prelates leaving the meetings said preliminary proceedings were still at the early stages and more time would be necessary before they could decide on when to start the conclave in the Sistine Chapel.
Workmen have begun preparing the chapel, building a new, suspended floor to protect the centuries-old tiles.
Nonetheless, the Vatican spokesman said it was important that no one felt "pressured" into going into the conclave before they were ready and that more time would be needed for "reflection".
One cardinal leaving the meeting said there had been no formal discussion on Wednesday of the so-called "Vatileaks" scandal, which led to the arrest of Paolo Gabriele, the pope's butler, further besmirching the Church's reputation.
Gabriele was convicted of stealing personal papal documents and leaking them to the media. The documents alleged corruption and infighting over the running of its bank.
A trio of elderly cardinals prepared a report on the scandal for Benedict, who later pardoned Gabriele, and a number of cardinals attending the preliminary meetings said they wanted to be briefed on the report.
Thousands gathered in St Peter's Square to hear Benedict's retirement speech last Thursday.
After the end of Benedict's papacy on Thursday, every department head in the Vatican vacated their job - except for those who are considered crucial for the smooth running of the transition period.
Before leaving, Benedict XVI said goodbye to the monsignors, nuns, Vatican staff and Swiss Guards who make up the papal household.
The 85-year-old’s Italian air force helicopter circled Rome, passing over the Colosseum to give him a last view of the city.
Bells rang out from St Peter’s Basilica and churches all over Rome as he flew overhead.
He also sent a final tweet, saying: ‘Thank you for your love and support.
'May you always experience the joy that comes from putting Christ at the centre of your lives.’
Yesterday the Vatican gave the clearest signal yet that it is preparing to elect a new Pontiff by closing off the Sistine Chapel to the public.
Michelangelo's frescoed masterpiece will be closed to tourists while preparations are made for the Conclave.
When the time comes it will be Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran's job as proto-deacon to announce 'Habemus Papam!' ('We have a pope!') from the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square after the smoke has snaked up from the Sistine Chapel chimney.
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