On Thursday, in front of tens of thousands of mourners in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis oversaw the burial of his predecessor, Benedict XVI. This was the first time this has happened in modern times.
Thousands of priests and nuns from all around the world gathered to bid farewell to the German theologian, who shocked the Catholic church in 2013 by becoming the first pontiff to resign in six centuries, as well as red-clad cardinals and dignitaries.
Francis, the current pope, presided over the event for the first time in modern history. As part of a bilingual ceremony that also included a Latin mass, he gave the homily in Italian.
The pontiff wished his predecessor, Benedict, “may your joy be complete as you hear his (God’s) voice, now and forever,” in a memorial to the man who passed away last Saturday at the age of 95.
After the liturgy, 12 pallbearers in suits brought Benedict’s plain cypress wood coffin inside St. Peter’s Basilica after Francis made the sign of the cross over it and bent his head.
Benedict will be buried in a tomb in the basilica’s basement crypt, which is also where John Paul II’s remains were laid in state prior to their relocation for his beatification in 2011. In 2014, he was declared a saint.
The former pope, born Joseph Ratzinger, had not served as head of state in ten years, but world leaders including Olaf Scholz of Germany and Giorgia Meloni of Italy were present.
The police estimated that 50,000 people attended the funeral in the square, many of whom had gathered in lines to pay their respects since sunrise.
Cristina Grisanti, a 59-year-old Milanese woman, compared Benedict to her father and said, “Benedict is a bit like my father, so I had to pay homage to him.” Cristina praised Benedict’s “purity, his candour, his mildness.”
At the time the body was lying in state, an estimated 195,000 people had already expressed their respect.
Church bells rang out across Germany as the funeral service ended on Thursday, as many Germans were also at the Vatican. Benedict was the first German pope in 1,000 years.
“He owes us a lot.” “We want to demonstrate that we support him,” said 34-year-old Aachen native Benedikt Rothweiler, who travelled with his family.
“Actually, we don’t know enough about Benedict.” He consistently agreed with how God wanted things done. It serves as a good lesson for us as people.
READ ALSO: Pope Calls for End to “Senseless” Ukraine War at Christmas
both popes
Though a great theologian, Benedict was a polarising personality who alienated many Catholics with his steadfast defence of conservative theology on topics like abortion.
Infighting inside the Vatican and the widespread crisis of clergy sex abuse and its cover-up were only two of the problems that he faced during his eight years as head of the global Catholic Church.
After announcing his resignation, Benedict went to live alone in a monastery in the Vatican gardens. He said he no longer had the “mind and body strength” needed for the job.
His passing put an end to the unusual circumstance of living in the tiny city-state with Francis and another “man in white.”
Even though there were reports that he and Francis, an Argentine Jesuit, got along well, Benedict’s later actions made sure that he continued to be the leader for conservative Catholics who didn’t like Francis’ more liberal approach.
The last time a pope presided at his predecessor’s funeral was in 1802, when Pius VII did so for Pius VI. However, the conditions were extremely different at that time.
Pius VI was buried in Valence after passing away in exile while a prisoner of France in 1799. After having his bones unearthed and returned to Italy, his successor was given a papal burial at St. Peter’s.
European kings
Many of the 1.3 billion Catholics in the world outside of St. Peter’s were anticipated to follow the funeral rituals on television and the radio.
Churches performed requiem services for the previous pontiff in the mostly Catholic Philippines, including at Malolos Cathedral close to Manila.
Around 500 people gathered for the unique occasion, including Cherry Castro, 67, who remarked, “This is an incomprehensible emotion to witness this.”
On Thursday, Portugal announced a day of national mourning, and public buildings in Italy flew their flags at half-staff.
Italy and Germany were the only nations with formal delegations.
However, additional dignitaries, such as the royal families of Spain and Belgium, the presidents of Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Hungary, and Togo, as well as the premiers of the Czech Republic, Gabon, and Slovakia, among others, attended in their individual capacities.
The liturgy was conducted in the same manner as typical papal funerals, with a few modifications made to the prayers and readings to reflect Benedict’s role as an emeritus pope.
His cypress coffin was to be placed into a zinc coffin first, then a wooden casing, before being laid in the crypt.
As is customary, his body will be interred with money, medals, and a sealed metal cylinder containing a written account of his pontificate.
Polls have consistently placed him ahead of other contenders. However, only time will tell who will win the election on February 25.
