Francis pays tribute to predecessors: New Year’s Day under the sign of Benedict XVI.

Tens of thousands of believers took part in the Angelus prayer with Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square. The Pope prayed for the late Benedict XVI. and called for more good deeds to be done in the new year.

It was New Year’s Day in the Vatican marked by a dead man. Tens of thousands of people came to St. Peter’s Square at noon. Right at the beginning of the traditional Angelus prayer, Pope Francis recalled his predecessor. “In these hours we call on you for intercession – especially for the Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who left this world yesterday morning”.

The people in St. Peter’s Square reacted to the mention of Benedict with long applause. Francis paid tribute to the deceased as a man of great service to the Catholic Church. He said, “We all join together, with one heart and one soul, in thanksgiving to God for the gift of this faithful minister of the gospel and the church.”

Mention in the New Year’s Fair

Already in the morning the pope had deviated from the usual liturgy in the New Year’s mass in St. Peter’s Basilica and had mentioned Benedict in his sermon.

“Today we entrust to the Holy Mother the beloved Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. May she accompany him in his transition from this world to God,” said Francis.

Death moves believers

Several thousand believers and more than 200 cardinals, bishops and priests attended the Mass, which is also World Peace Day for the Vatican. Many of those present had bought their tickets for the mass in St. Peter’s Basilica weeks ago, as did Paolo from Udine in northern Italy.

Today, however, his thoughts were with the deceased Benedict: “We are here today and want to say goodbye to the Pope Emeritus, who has left us”.

Dariusz, a Polish student at the Pontifical Gregorian University, is convinced that the death of Benedict moves the faithful. He too is saddened by the death of the “great theologian”. Benedict left great influence as Pope. At the same time, the death of 95-year-old Benedikt “almost had to be expected” at this age.

Farewell in St. Peter’s Basilica

Starting tomorrow morning, Benedict’s remains will be laid out in St. Peter’s Basilica so that the faithful can say goodbye to the Pope Emeritus. On Thursday the funeral service will take place in St. Peter’s Square, where Pope Francis will preach the sermon.

Appeal: to do good

On New Year’s Day, Francis called on people to pull themselves together to do good in the new year, even if this means giving up habits and comforts.

As in his Christmas sermons, Francis also recalled the wars in the world and asked for prayers for the suffering children and for all people who, the Pope said, lived in “misery and fear” as a result of war.