Pope Benedict will then be buried in the Vatican Grotto, the former tomb of John Paul II. (file)
Vatican City:
Pope Francis will preside over the funeral of his predecessor Benedict XVI at the Vatican on Thursday, an event unprecedented in modern times that is expected to be attended by thousands.
Nearly a decade after Benedict became the first pontiff to resign in six centuries, his successor will lead a condolence mass in the vast St Peter’s Square before his body is laid in the papal tombs under St Peter’s Basilica.
According to the Vatican, the German emeritus pope was no longer head of state, but world leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, will attend the funeral, along with European royals and 3,700 priests.
Benedict, born Joseph Ratzinger, died on Saturday at the age of 95, bringing to an end an unprecedented situation of having two “white men” – he and Francis – living in the Vatican.
The Vatican said an estimated 195,000 people have already paid their respects during the three days he lay in state in the basilica, with Benedict’s body placed before the altar.
On Wednesday evening, it was moved in a cypress casket for Thursday’s funeral, which begins at 9:30 a.m. (0830 GMT) and officials expect 100,000 people to attend.
Benedict will then be interred in the Vatican Grotto, the former tomb of John Paul II, a crypt beneath the basilica that contains more than 90 tombs.
His predecessor’s body was moved to the main part of the basilica on the event of his beatification in 2011. John Paul II was made a saint in 2014.
Portugal has declared national mourning on Thursday, while flags on public buildings in Italy will fly at half-mast.
In Germany, church bells will ring at 11:00 a.m. to commemorate the first German pope in 1,000 years.
two popes
Catholics and curious tourists were among the thousands of people queuing this week to view Benedict’s body.
Winemaker Marco Fellini, a pilgrim, said, “Despite what some people think, for me personally he was a father, in faith and also a model of service, humility and the pursuit of truth.”
Benedict was a brilliant theologian but a divisive figure who alienated many Catholics with his staunch defense of Orthodox doctrine on issues such as abortion.
His eight years as head of the worldwide Catholic Church were also marked by crises, from infighting within the Vatican to the global clerical sex abuse scandal and its cover-up.
When he left the job, Benedict, saying he now had the “strength of mind and body” needed for the task, retired to a quiet life in a monastery in the Vatican gardens.
He and Francis, an Argentine Jesuit, were said to be well received, but Benedict’s subsequent interventions meant that he remained a standard-bearer for conservative Catholics, who preferred the more moderate stance of his successor. Did not do
Francis – who praised Benedict as “noble, merciful” after his death at the monastery – now has the unusual experience of presiding over his funeral.
The last time a pope presided over the funeral of his predecessor was in 1802, when Pius VII led the ceremony for Pius VI – but the circumstances were very different.
Pius VI died in exile in 1799, a prisoner of France, and was buried in Valence. His successor exhumed his remains and brought them back to Italy, before treating him to a papal funeral at St. Peter’s.
security operations
Around 1,000 police will provide security at the funeral, supported by many civilians from Italy’s Civil Protection Service, while more than 1,000 journalists are accredited.
The only official delegations are from Germany and Italy. Other dignitaries, including the Belgian and Spanish royals, the presidents of Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Hungary, Slovenia and Togo, and the premiers of the Czech Republic, Gabon and Slovakia, are attending in a personal capacity.
The service will follow a traditional papal funeral, with some changes to the prayers and readings to reflect Benedict’s status as Pope Emeritus.
Before being placed in the crypt, his cypress casket would be placed first in a zinc coffin, then in a wooden box.
As is traditional, coins and medals were minted during his papacy and an inscribed text describing his episcopacy sealed in a metal cylinder would be placed with his body.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
featured video of the day
“Cracks Growing Every Hour”: Panic In Uttarakhand’s “Sinking” Town