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Pope Francis has joined pilgrims in St Peter’s Square to preside over the funeral of his predecessor, who resigned from the papacy in 2013.
The dome of St Peter’s basilica on the Vatican become shrouded in mist because the cypress-timber coffin containing Pope Benedict XVI’s frame become delivered out and positioned at the steps.There become applause from the devoted who had accumulated for the funeral. Benedict become then interred in a tomb underneath the basilica. Clergy from round the sector had come – cardinals in purple vestments, nuns and clergymen of their darkish robes. Pope Francis become delivered out directly to the dais in a wheelchair.
Latin chants sung through the Sistine Chapel choir echoed throughout the square. The temper become solemn and subdued. Daniele, a teacher, who had met the previous pontiff at a church in Rome, advised me the climate matched the occasion. “The fog represents the thriller of Pope Benedict, the thriller of loss of life and life.”
During the Mass, concelebrated through cardinals, bishops and priests, Pope Francis spoke of “wisdom, tenderness and devotion that he bestowed upon us over the years”. “Benedict, devoted buddy of the Bridegroom,” he stated regarding Jesus, “can also additionally your pleasure be entire as you pay attention his voice, now and forever.”
Some 50,000 mourners got here to the funeral, in step with police. Official delegations had been there from Italy and from former Pope Benedict’s domestic united states of america of Germany. Other leaders, which includes the king and queen of Belgium attended in a non-public capacity.
Benedict’s loss of life brings to an quit the generation of a pope and a former pope dwelling aspect through aspect withinside the Vatican – an unparalleled state of affairs delivered approximately through Benedict’s resignation nearly a decade ago.
In February 2013, I stood looking in St Peter’s Square as he flew farfar from the Vatican in a helicopter, on the quit of his hold forth. The ceremonies surrounding his loss of life were less difficult than the ones for a sitting pope.
Over the beyond few days, a few 200,000 human beings got here to the Vatican to pay their respects to the previous pontiff, as he lay in country in the front of the primary altar in St Peter’s Basilica.
On the day earlier than the funeral, I joined the lengthy line of site visitors and mourners queuing to view his frame. Dressed in purple and gold vestments, he had a rosary clasped in his white, waxy hands. There become no show of typical papal regalia just like the silver staff, a signal that he become now not Pope whilst he died.
But in step with tradition, a lead tube containing an account of Benedict’s papacy, in addition to different items, which includes Vatican cash minted all through his reign, had been positioned withinside the coffin.
At the quit of the service, the choir sang “May the angels lead you into paradise.” Pope Francis positioned his hand at the timber coffin in a very last prayer, earlier than it become carried away, to be sealed and positioned in every other coffin of zinc and an outer one in every of timber.
It become buried withinside the crypt below St Peter’s Basilica, in which Pope John Paul II become at the start interred in 2005 earlier than his frame become moved as much as a chapel, after his beatification.
While many main figures have praised Benedict considering the fact that his loss of life – paying tribute to his theological studies – there has additionally been criticism, especially through sufferers of sexual abuse through Catholic clergy.
The Snap Survivors community stated the previous pope “absolutely overlooked the burning trouble of clergy sexual abuse all through his tenure in office”.
“In his greater than 25 years as the sector’s maximum influential non secular figure, Pope Benedict XVI fell quick in shielding youngsters and adults round the sector.”
In St Peter’s Square, emotions approximately the previous pope had been mixed. Gaia from Sardinia stated that whilst Benedict had been “a excellent pope, I opt for Pope Francis. I assume that he is toward human beings in 2023”.
Simona from Monza in northern Italy advised me she become involved that Francis may comply with Benedict’s instance and retire. “I’m concerned he’s sick, and I actually do wish that he nevertheless has the energy to maintain the Church united and to move on and provide wish to this world.”
Christopher Lamb, Vatican correspondent of the Catholic mag The Tablet, stated Francis now confronted a brand new second in his hold forth however he predicted him to hold his tempo of reform withinside the Church.
“The loss of life of Benedict does go away it open for Francis to step down if he desires however I would not guess on it due to the fact this Pope actually has lots to perform in phrases of reforms.”
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