Pope Francis leads Catholics in bidding farewell to ex Pope Benedict

Pope Francis presided on the funeral of former Pope Benedict on Thursday, delivering a homily evaluating his predecessor to Jesus earlier than tens of 1000’s of mourners.

Pope Francis attends the funeral of former Pope Benedict, in St. Peter’s Square on the Vatican, January 5, 2023 (Photo: Reuters)

By Reuters: Pope Francis presided on the funeral of former Pope Benedict on Thursday, delivering a homily evaluating his predecessor to Jesus earlier than tens of 1000’s of mourners in St. Peter’s sq..

To the sound of tolling bells, 12 pallbearers had carried the picket coffin holding Benedict’s stays out of St. Peter’s Basilica and positioned it on the bottom earlier than the biggest church in Christendom.

Applause broke out throughout the huge, cobbled esplanade, which was shrouded in mist, in an indication of respect for Benedict, a hero to Roman Catholic conservatives who shocked the world by resigning practically a decade in the past.

Francis arrived within the sq. in a wheelchair. Troubled by a foul knee, the pontiff sat in a chair wanting down on the coffin, barely hunched and glum-faced as choirs sung in Latin.

In his homily learn from the identical spot, Francis used greater than a dozen biblical references and Church writings during which he appeared to check Benedict to Jesus, together with his final phrase earlier than he died on the cross: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

Francis additionally referred to Benedict not directly in paraphrases of different Biblical references to Jesus, together with “love means being ready to suffer” and that the congregation was “commending our brother into the hands of the father”.

Also referring to Benedict in the course of the Mass concelebrated by 125 cardinals, 200 bishops and about 3,700 clergymen, Francis spoke of “wisdom, tenderness and devotion that he bestowed upon us over the years”.

He talked about Benedict by identify solely as soon as, within the final line, saying: “Benedict, faithful friend of the Bridegroom,(Jesus) may your joy be complete as you hear his voice, now and forever!”

Clergy from world wide, a handful of heads of state and 1000’s of trustworthy attended the ceremony because the solar slowly broke by the fog.

More than 1,000 Italian safety personnel have been referred to as as much as assist safeguard the occasion, and air area across the tiny Holy See has been closed off for the day. Italy ordered that flags across the nation be flown at half employees.

‘LEFT HIS MARK’

People from all around the world, many from Benedict’s native Germany, started arriving at midnight of the night time to say farewell to Benedict.

“Even though at our age we were just children when he was pope, he left his mark,” Xavier Mora, 24, a Spaniard who’s finding out for the priesthood in Rome, instructed Reuters as he approached the sq. with two different seminarians.

“We have been studying his theology for three years and even though we did not know him personally we have great affection and esteem for him,” he stated.

About 200,000 individuals filed previous Benedict’s physique whereas it was lying-in-state till Wednesday night.

An account of Benedict’s papacy, together with different gadgets, together with Vatican cash minted throughout his reign, was additionally tucked into the coffin.

The account of his life and papacy, written in Latin, says he “fought with firmness” towards sexual abuse by clergy within the Church.

While many main figures have praised Benedict since his demise, criticism has additionally been aired, together with by victims of clergy sexual abuse, who’ve accused him of looking for to guard the Church in any respect prices.

After the funeral ceremony, the coffin will probably be taken again contained in the basilica and encased in zinc earlier than being sealed in a second picket casket.

Because Benedict was now not a head of state when he died, solely two nations, Italy and his native Germany, despatched official delegations on Thursday.

Francis himself has made clear that he wouldn’t hesitate to step down some day if his psychological or bodily well being prevented him from finishing up his duties, however Vatican officers at all times doubted he may do that whereas Benedict was nonetheless alive.

Even although Benedict largely averted public appearances in subsequent years, he remained a standard-bearer for Catholic conservatives, who felt alienated by reforms ushered in by Francis, together with cracking down on the outdated Latin Mass.

At his request, Benedict will probably be buried afterward Thursday within the underground Vatican grottoes within the area of interest the place first Pope John XXIII after which John Paul II have been interred earlier than their stays have been transferred to extra outstanding locations within the basilica above.

Read | Benedict XVI, first pope to resign in 600 years, dies at 95

Published On:

Jan 5, 2023