Pope's historic funeral

The funeral of the former Pope Benedict XVI was held in the Vatican City, officiated by Pope Francis, the current head of the Roman Catholic church.

This is the first time in over two hundred years that a sitting pope has presided over the funeral of his predecessor.

According to tradition, the pope's elected by the College of Cardinals, leading bishops within the church, following the death of the previous pontiff. Departing from this tradition, Pope Benedict XVI sent shockwaves through the world in 2013 when he resigned. He'd stated he no longer possessed ‘the strength of mind or body’ necessary for the task. Retiring to a monastery within the city state of the Vatican, an unprecedented move, inspired the making of the 2019 film ‘The Two Popes’.

Born Joseph Ratzinger in 1927, Benedict XVI was the first German in a millennium elected to the papacy, following the death of Pope John Paul II in 2005. Despite having retired from the role a decade earlier, St Peter’s Square thronged with dignitaries and mourners from around the world. The 50,000 mourners paying their respects in person were joined by many of the 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide who tuned into the live broadcast.

The 86 year old Pope Francis officiated the multilingual service, which resembled a traditional papal funeral, albeit with a few adjustments to prayers and readings to indicate Benedict's status as emeritus pope. Leading on from the final blessing by the current prelate, Benedict's coffin was borne to the crypt of the Vatican's St Peter's Basilica, where he's been laid to rest. Weniger anzeigen