Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI.
Papal deaths usually adhere to a strict protocol: the Pope's study and bedroom are locked, his Fisherman's Ring, the seal used for papal documents, is destroyed, and different funeral ceremonies are performed.
But with the death of Benedict, who resigned and held the title of emeritus it was unclear what protocol the Vatican would follow until his death was announced on Saturday.
The Vatican said that Pope Francis would officiate at his funeral, which would take place in St. Peter's Square on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. The Vatican also announced that on Monday, Benedict's body would be in St. Peter's Basilica "to be greeted by the faithful."
A Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni,
said that the rite on Thursday would be a “solemn but sober funeral.”
According to a papacy historian, Agostino Paravicini Baglioni, Benedict was not the first Pope to step down, but because he decided to keep some traditions associated with the office, including wearing white, "the question is complicated " as regards the protocol that his burial will follow since there are no examples from recent history.
Celestine V, who resigned in 1294, sought to lead a monastic life in contrast, but Pope Boniface VIII imprisoned him instead, and when he passed in 1296, he did not receive a papal funeral.
Before Benedict, Gregory XII was the last Pope to step down in 1415 and returned to his previous position as a cardinal. Two years later, he died and his funeral was conducted by the cardinals' protocol, Mr. Paravicini Bagliani said.
When a Pope dies, cardinals typically meet to mourn as well as take part in the election of a successor. According to Mr. Paravicini Bagliani, their presence in Rome is a "sign that even though a Pope has died, the Church continues.”
“That’s not an issue in this case,” he said, but noted that cardinals would probably be present “as mourners.”
Although the Vatican had not specified the location of Benedict's burial, it is expected that he will be buried with his 148 predecessors in the crypt beneath St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.
The funeral Mass of a Pope is usually officiated by the dean of the College of Cardinals. As such, in 2005, Benedict celebrated John Paul II's funeral.
Pope Benedict XVI, the eminent German theologian and conservative enforcer of Roman Catholic Church doctrine passed on Saturday, at age 95, the Vatican said.
Pope Benedict broke a 600 years tradition when he resigned in 2013 and thereafter
lived for nearly a decade behind Vatican walls as a retired Pope.
The death of a Pope customarily sets in motion a conclave to choose a new leader of the church. This will not happen in this case as Benedict’s successor, Pope Francis, was elected when Benedict retired in 2013.
Now, Francis, as a sitting pope is expected to preside over the funeral of his predecessor -an extraordinary scene in the history of the church.
In line with tradition, Pope Emeritus’ body will be laid in St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday to enable the faithful to file by to pay their respects.
Born Joseph Alois Ratzinger, Benedict
was ordained as a priest in 1951 and
appointed as the archbishop of Munich and Freising in 1977, the same year he was elected a cardinal.
Four years later, Pope John Paul II called Cardinal Ratzinger to Rome, where he was appointed to lead the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, one of the most significant roles in the Vatican and the office in charge of defending Church orthodoxy. He led the office for about 25 years.
Cardinal Ratzinger was chosen to succeed John Paul II after his passing in 2005. He adopted the name of the monk, Benedict of Nursia, who established monasteries and the Benedictine order and contributed to the spread of Christianity throughout Europe in the sixth century.
As Benedict XVI, the Pope tried to re-evangelize a Europe that was having trouble maintaining its faith.
In the end, Pope Benedict resigned at a time of scandal and under intense pressure citing his failing health both "of mind and body" and said that he had freely resigned "for the good of the church."
He is likely to be remembered most for that resignation, which was the first by a Pope since 1415.
He spent his retirement years at a monastery on the grounds of the Vatican, mostly withdrawing from public life and devoting himself to meditation and prayer. Pope Francis visited him and referred to him as "a wise grandfather in the home."
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