Rome
DailyExpertNews
—
The bedridden of former Pope Benedict XVI, who died on Saturday at age 95, began Monday at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City ahead of his funeral later this week.
Benedict, who was the first pope in nearly 600 years to resign rather than hold office for life, died Dec. 31 at a monastery in Vatican City, according to a Vatican statement.
He was elected pope in April 2005, after the death of John Paul II.
The former pope’s body was moved from the monastery to St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday morning, where it was laid out for the faithful to say goodbye, the Vatican said.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella were among those who paid their respects as Benedict lay in state.
Mourners waiting in line in St. Peter’s Square told DailyExpertNews they wanted to pay tribute to the former pope.
“We’re just here to pray, to thank God for Pope Benedict’s life,” said Paul, a student from Scotland.
“Apart from his theology, which was very important to the church, I think all the time he spent praying for the church during his retirement has been a very great testimony to all of us.”
Benedict’s funeral will take place Thursday at 9:30 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m. ET) in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City, according to the director of the Holy See’s press office, Matteo Bruni. The funeral will be led by Pope Francis. In accordance with Benedict’s wishes, his funeral will be “simple,” Bruni said.
Francis paid tribute to his predecessor as he led the Angelus prayer on Sunday.
“This tribute is especially addressed to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who passed away yesterday morning. We salute him as a faithful servant of the gospel,” he said.
Benedict was known to be more conservative than his successor, Pope Francis, who took steps to soften the Vatican’s stance on abortion and homosexuality, as well as doing more to address the sexual abuse crisis the Church has faced in recent years. flooded and clouded. Benedict’s legacy.
He stunned Catholic believers and religious experts around the world in 2013 when he announced plans to step down as pope, citing his “advanced age”.
In his farewell address, the outgoing pope promised to remain “hidden” from the world, but he continued to speak out on religious matters in the years following his retirement, adding to tensions within the Catholic Church.
His death drew tributes from political and religious leaders, including US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Dalai Lama.