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Status: 01/01/2023 05:13
The Catholic Church and many believers around the world commemorate Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who died on New Year’s Eve morning. His successor Francis remembered him in a mass.
As a sign of mourning for Benedict XVI. The white and yellow national flags are flying at half-mast in the Vatican. Pope Francis commemorated his predecessor in the evening in St. Peter’s Basilica, as part of the traditional Te Deum at the end of the year: “We are saddened to remember his noble, so kind person. And we feel a lot of gratitude in our hearts: gratitude to God for giving us, the Church and the world. Gratitude to him for all the good he has done.”
Before the faithful in the basilica, Francis also recalled Benedict’s years as emeritus after his retirement from office in 2013. The pope acknowledged what he called Benedict’s “testimony of faith and prayer”: “Only God knows him value and power of his intercession, his sacrifices made for the good of the church.”
Pope Francis commemorated his predecessor during the Mass.
Image: via REUTERS
It is expected that the Pope will also address Benedict’s death in the New Year’s Mass and the Angelus prayer at noon. Several tens of thousands of people are expected to attend this fair.
Death on New Year’s Eve
On Wednesday, the Pope had prepared believers all over the world that Benedict’s life could come to an end. In the general audience, Francis called for prayers for his predecessor because he was “very ill”. On New Year’s Eve, Pope spokesman Matteo Bruni announced Benedict’s death: “It is with pain that I inform you that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI passed away this morning at 9:34 a.m. in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican.”
The 95-year-old Benedict had refused to be taken to the hospital despite his recently deteriorated state of health. According to the Vatican, Benedict’s health problems in the past few days were mainly due to age-related weakness.
Laying out from Monday
From Monday morning, the body of the Pope Emeritus is to be laid out in St. Peter’s Basilica. For three days, the faithful then have the opportunity to Benedict XVI. to pay one’s last respects. The funeral will take place on Thursday in St. Peter’s Square. Benedict himself asked for a simple ceremony in his will.
The Vatican has invited two official delegations from other countries to the funeral service, from Germany and Italy. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has announced his coming for the Federal Republic. Pope Francis will preach during the Mass.
After the mourning ceremony, Benedict is to be buried in the papal crypt under St. Peter’s Basilica. The Pope Emeritus had wished to find his final resting place on the spot where John Paul II was buried before his remains were moved to a chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica after his beatification.
Benedict was elected Pope in 2005, the first German in almost 500 years. In 2013, the native Bavarian made a turning point in church history. Benedict was the first modern pope to resign. Even then he justified this step with his state of health.