The ceremony took place in St. Peter’s Square, which was suffocatingly full of tens of thousands of faithful, presided over by Pope Francis
In the Vatican today, the funeral of Pope Benedict, Pope Francis’ vicar, took place.
The ceremony took place in St Peter’s Square, which was packed with tens of thousands of worshipers – many stayed overnight in the square to say goodbye to the late Pope Emeritus today.
After the public ceremony, the casket of the pontiff emeritus was taken to St. Peter’s Basilica and then to the Vatican caves (where the papal tombs are located), where the body was interred.
A total of 3,700 Catholic clergy participated in the funeral ceremony, while ten bishops arrived in Rome from Germany, where the late pontiff came from.
The ceremony was attended by more than a thousand journalists, from thirty-five countries of the world.
The Vatican said the ceremony will be similar to that for any pontiff, with “some minor changes” as Benedict was pontiff emeritus when he died, not “acting”.
Representatives of the Italian Jewish and Muslim communities were also present.
The Italian delegation was headed by the President of the Republic of the country, while present in St. Peter’s Square were, among others, the German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the President of Slovenia Natasa Pirc Musar and the President of Hungary, Katalin Novak.
France was represented by the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin.
Only once before, in 1802, was the funeral of a Catholic pope attended by his successor.
Read the News today and get the latest news.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news.
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
