As part of the legacy of Pope Benedict XVIâs visit to the UK, well-wishers are being offered an e-card to send to the Holy Father on or around 16th April to mark his 84th birthday.
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His Holiness was born Joseph Alois Ratzinger in Marktl am Inn, Diocese of Passau in Germany on 16 April 1927 (Holy Saturday) and was baptised the same day. His father, a policeman, came from a family of farmers from Lower Bavaria. His mother, Maria, was the daughter of artisans from Rimsting on the shore of Lake Chiem. He spent his childhood in Traunstein, a small village near the Austrian border, thirty kilometres from Salzburg. On Tuesday 19 April 2005, the College of Cardinals elected Cardinal Ratzinger as successor to Pope John Paul II – the 265th Bishop of Rome and Successor of St Peter. Pope Benedict XVI is only the second non-Italian pope since 1522 – the other being his much-loved predecessor Pope John Paul II.
An electronic birthday card is being made available from http://www.facebook.com/papalvisit, which can be emailed to the Holy Father at: benedict.xvi@vatican.va
Well-wishers are also invited to post their birthday greetings and prayers on the Facebook page.
The e-card is part of an initiative called âSome Definite Purposeâ which aims to encourage people to contribute to the legacy of His Holinessâs visit; the initiative is being coordinated by the Home Mission Desk of the Catholic Bishopsâ Conference of England and Wales.
A Bishopsâ Conference spokesperson said: âJust over six months ago the UK welcomed His Holiness to these lands and sending a birthday card is a small way in which we can express our thanks for his coming and wish him a very happy and blessed day.â
To find out more about the legacy of the Papal Visit please see:
http://www.thepapalvisit.org.uk/Visit-Legacy
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 Contact
 Catholic Communications Network (CCN),â¨tel. 020 7901 4800,⨠email: ccn@cbcew.org.uk
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 Alternatively, Clare Ward,â¨Home Mission Desk,â¨tel. 020 7901 4818, email: clare.ward@cbcew.org.uk
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 For the Holy Fatherâs biography please see: http://www.thepapalvisit.org.uk/Pope-Benedict-XVI/About-Pope-Benedict Â
