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Status: 12/31/2022 1:35 p.m
What happens after the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI? There hasn’t been a case like this for ages. But there is also a protocol for this in the Vatican.
The Vatican regulates in detail what to do when a pope dies. However, almost all regulations relate to the death of an incumbent pope. This is honored with a nine-day mourning period, which bears the Latin name “Novemdiales”. Normally, after the death of a pope, the cardinals must also elect his successor. This does not apply in the case of Benedict, who resigned from office on February 11, 2013 and made room for his successor Francis.
What the protocol after the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. therefore had to be regulated separately. According to the Vatican, Pope Francis has made appropriate arrangements with the master of ceremonies. Benedict XVI According to the Vatican, I wanted a simple ceremony myself.
When is Benedict buried?
As the Vatican announced, Benedict’s body is to be laid out in St. Peter’s Basilica on the morning of January 2 so that the faithful can say goodbye to him.
The requiem mass is to be held on January 5 from 9:30 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. Pope Francis will preside over the ceremony. It is the first time in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church that a sitting pope has celebrated the funeral mass for one of his predecessors.
Who comes to the funeral?
In 2005, around a million people took part in the funeral service for the charismatic John Paul II on St. Peter’s Square. Numerous heads of state and church representatives paid their last respects to the longstanding head of the church.
It will be interesting to see which political dignitaries will travel to Benedict’s funeral – including from Germany. Although the emeritus pope was the head of the Papal States as pontiff, recent developments surrounding decades of abuse scandals cast a shadow over the life and work of the former pope. This could cause some politicians not to travel to Rome. Many cardinals – especially those whom Benedict himself brought into the College of Cardinals during his pontificate – are likely to come.
It is unclear whether the Swiss Guard will provide a guard of honor for the deceased. Officially, your service to Benedict XVI. came to an end with his resignation. It would therefore be conceivable for the Vatican gendarmerie to take over the honor guard.
Where is Benedict buried?
According to Vatican rules, a pope must be buried four to six days after his death. As the Italian news agency Adnkronos reported, Benedict had already expressed his wish to be buried in the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica in 2020. As the exact place he chose the first grave of John Paul II in the papal tomb. The native Pole lay there until the mortal remains were brought to a chapel in the right aisle of Peter’s Basilica after his beatification in 2011.
What happens to Benedikt’s signet ring?
A ring is specially made for each pope as a sign of his power. The head of the church uses this so-called fisherman’s ring as a seal for documents. Benedict’s signet ring was made unusable with an “X” after his resignation. The piece of jewelry is taken from the finger of a deceased pope and then broken.
Sources: dpa, AFP