Patriarch and Deputy PM Bozdag attend papal inauguration

Turkey, among 132 countries, will attend the ceremony of the spiritual leader of the Catholic world, Pope Francis, along with representatives of international institutions.

Federico Lombardi, the Pope's spokesman, said that the formal ceremony of 266th Pope, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who was elected on March 13, would be held on Tuesday.

Pope Francis will tour around with a "popemobile" or a jeep in the midst of the gathered people ahead of the ceremony, said Lombardi on Monday.

The ceremony will be held in Italian, but Pope can utter some sentences in different languages, said Lombardi, adding that the ceremony could last two hours.

Lombardi showed a replica of the papacy emblem which Pope Francis chose for himself. The modified emblem, which Pope used during his archbishopric in Buenos Aires, now has gold and silver keys attached to it, symbolizing his papacy.

Emphasizing that Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomeow would attend the formal papacy ceremony for the first time, Lombardi added that there would be representatives from both the Muslim and Jewish worlds.

He stated that high-profile attendees to the ceremony from Italy would include President Giorgio Napolitano, Prime Minister Mario Monti, newly elected Chair of Republic Senate Pietro Grasso and newly elected Chair of Assembly of Representatives Laura Boldrini.

Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomeow on Monday departed from Istanbul and is on his way to Rome.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag, who will represent Turkey in the ceremony, is expected to arrive in Rome on Monday evening.

- Pope Francis to be officially installed on Tuesday -

Pope Francis, the 76-year-old new spiritual leader of Roman Catholic Church, is set to be officially installed on Tuesday as the 266th pontiff.

There will be a ceremony in the Vatican City which is expected to draw world leaders.

Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag will attend the ceremony to represent Turkey.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, was elected on March 13 in the fifth round of voting on the second day of the conclave to succeed Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the first pope in 600 years to resign the papacy.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013