Big day in Rome, of course. Here are some links, with more coming:

During the Mass at St. Peter’s , Pope Benedict bestowed the pallium on 32 Archbishops, including Fiorenza from Houston

Though it may be a long way to come to see a band of white wool be placed around a clerical neck, the event has drawn nearly 600 of the Houston-area’s Catholic faithful.

"I think it is a great honor to have an archbishop," said Sandy Ramirez of St. John the Fisher Catholic Church in Richmond.

"To see him get vested, we are participating in history," added Cynthia Felan, a fellow St. John parishioner.

The practice of bestowing the pallium on new archbishops from around the world is an ancient tradition that was revived by Pope John Paul II, said the Rev. R. Troy Gately, vice chancellor of the archdiocese and leader of the local pilgrimage to Rome.

The ritual is observed annually on June 29, the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul.

The crowd from Galveston-Houston is expected to be one of the largest to attend the annual ritual in which newly named archbishops receive the sign of their office, Gately said.

And, consistent with tradition, he addressed the Orthodox who were present:

In his homily, Benedict stressed the unity and universality of the church, but acknowledged key differences over the clout of the pope. The Orthodox see equal distribution of power among their churches, although Bartholomew is considered "first among equals."

"In this time of the world full of skepticism and doubts, but also rich in the desire for God, let us recognize anew our mission to witness Christ the Lord together, and on the base of that unity that he has given us, to help the world believe," he said.

….During The Mass celebrated the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul. At the end of the service, Benedict and the leader of the Orthodox delegation, Metropolitan John of Pergamon, prayed together underneath St. Peter’s Basilica at the tomb the faithful believe houses the remains of the apostle Peter.