Pope Francis Visits Benedict at Castel Gandolfo; Francis:"We're Brothers," Two Pray Side-By-Side

Pope Francis traveled today (March 23, 2013) to Castel Gandolfo -- a hill town south of Rome -- to have lunch with his "brother" and predecessor Benedict XVI, a historic and potentially problematic melding of the papacies that has never before confronted the Catholic Church, according to the Associated Press website.

The two men dressed in white embraced warmly on the helipad in the gardens of Castel Gandolfo, where Benedict has been living since he stepped down February 28 and became the first pope to resign in over 600 years.

In a series of gestures that ensued, Benedict made it clear that he considered Francis to be pope, while Francis made it clear that he considered his predecessor to be very much a revered brother and equal. They clasped hands repeatedly, showing one another the deference owed a pope in ways that surely turned Vatican protocol upside down.

Traveling from the helipad to the palazzo, Francis sat on the right-hand side of the car -- the traditional place of the pope -- while Benedict sat on the left. When they entered the chapel inside the palazzo to pray, Benedict tried to direct Francis to the papal kneeler at the front of the chapel, but Frances refused. "No, we are brothers," Francis told Benedict. Francis wanted to pray together with Benedict, so the two used a different kneeler in the pews and prayed side-by-side.