Vatican airspace closed for funeral – Pilgrims will exceed 200,000
For the third day, the attendance of believers who want to pay tribute to the late pontiff emeritus Benedict continues in the Vatican.
According to Italian television Rai, on Monday and Tuesday, the pilgrims totaled 140,000. By seven o’clock tonight they are expected to exceed 70,000.
Tomorrow morning, the body of the late pontiff will be taken outside the church for the funeral, which will be officiated by Pope Francis.
“Benedict was a great teacher of Christian catechism. His thought was ecclesiastical, with no personal references,” said Pope Francis this morning, addressing the faithful in the Nervi Hall of the Vatican.
The Vatican announced that the ceremony will be similar to that planned for each pontiff, with some minor changes. Only once before, in 1802, was the funeral of a Catholic pope attended by his successor.
For security reasons, the airspace above the Holy See, from this morning until tomorrow evening, is to remain closed while the sale of drinks, water and soft drinks in glass bottles has been prohibited.
According to the Italian media, for the close farewell to Benedict the Sixteenth, among others, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Queen Sofia of Spain, King Philip of Belgium, Polish President Andrzej Duda and the president of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Souza.
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