The body of the deceased pope exposed to the faithful until the funeral

A final tribute. The body of Benedict XVI, who died Saturday at the age of 95, is on display at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. There, the faithful will be able to pay their last respects to the late pope emeritus, before his funeral scheduled for Thursday. The doors of the huge Vatican Basilica will be open to the public from 9 a.m. (local time) until 7 p.m., then from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.

No need to book tickets, entry is free, said the Vatican, which has put in place an important security device for the occasion. The body of Joseph Ratzinger had remained so far in the small private chapel of the monastery where he lived since his renunciation in 2013, located in the heart of the Vatican gardens.

The first images of the pope released

The Vatican released on Sunday the first photos of the body of the pope emeritus, lying on a catafalque, dressed in red – the color of papal mourning – and wearing a white miter adorned with a golden braid, a rosary in his hands. A crucifix, a Christmas tree and a nativity scene are visible in the background.

The transfer of his body to St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest Catholic church in the world that can accommodate tens of thousands of worshippers, will take place at dawn on Monday.

The basilica, a masterpiece of architecture combining Renaissance and Baroque styles, completed in 1626, is also one of the holiest places in Christianity, since it houses the tomb of Saint Peter, the first bishop of Rome whose popes are the successors. On Sunday, Pope Francis once again paid homage to “beloved” Benedict XVI, “this faithful servant of the Gospel and of the Church”.

Brilliant theologian and fervent guardian of dogma, Benedict XVI, who had resigned in 2013 because of his declining strength, died peacefully on Saturday morning. Last pope to have participated in the Second Vatican Council, he however defended a conservative line at the head of the Church, in particular on abortion, homosexuality and euthanasia.

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