Tens of thousands gathered at the Vatican Thursday for the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who died Saturday at age 95.
Pope Francis presided over the event, which was held in St. Peter’s Square. The ceremony lasted about 90 minutes and involved prayers, a homily from Francis and a number of ancient rituals, according to The Washington Post.
“Afterward, as Benedict was being carried away by pallbearers, Francis — standing with the help of a cane — put his hand on the casket for a final goodbye,” the article said.
Thursday marked the first time in modern history that a current pope presided over the funeral for his predecessor. Typically, a pope is laid to rest before his successor has been chosen.
After the ceremony, Benedict was buried “in the grottoes of St. Peter’s Basilica, in a spot that previously held the remains of Pope John Paul II,” The Washington Post reported.
Who attended Benedict’s funeral?
Around 50,000 people attended Benedict’s funeral Thursday at the Vatican, including political and religious leaders from around the world, according to The Associated Press.
The Biden administration was represented by Joe Donnelly, who serves as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See. President Joe Biden did not attend, nor did other prominent heads of state, in part because Benedict had requested a simple funeral before his death.
“Following the wishes of the pope emeritus, the funeral will be held under the sign of simplicity,” said Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni earlier this week, according to Newsweek.
Still, Benedict’s funeral did not lack for high-profile guests. “King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Italy’s new prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, (and) former queen Sofia of Spain” were among the attendees, according to The Washington Post.
Most of the crowd consisted of Catholic families who traveled from near and far to pay their respects to the former pope, who was admired by many for his commitment to the church and his theological writings.
“We came to pay homage to Benedict and wanted to be here today to say goodbye,” said Raymond Mainar, who traveled from a small village east of Munich for the funeral, to The Associated Press. “He was a very good pope.”
What was Pope Benedict known for?
Benedict was elected pope in April 2005 after spending the previous quarter-century in other roles at the Vatican. Before his election, he had been contemplating a quiet retirement and was not longing for the high-profile position, as the Deseret News previously reported.
Benedict served as pope for eight years before surprising the church — and the world — with his wish to retire. He became pope emeritus in 2013 and led a quiet life in a monastery on the Vatican grounds for the past decade.
He will be remembered for his scholarly disposition and theological writings, according to Religion News Service.
“Before he was elected by his fellow cardinals in 2005 to become the first German pope, Benedict had already left an indelible mark in Catholic theology and thinking as the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. ... His rigorous, usually conservative interpretations of church teaching and discipline earned him the nickname ‘God’s Rottweiler,’ in stark contrast with the shy, introspective and art-loving man depicted by his friends,” the article said.