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A long queue of thousands of Catholics started paying their respects Monday to former pope Benedict XVI at St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. The lying-in-state that started on Monday will last for three days before his funeral.
At dawn, the queue began in the square in front of the basilica, where Benedict’s body was transferred earlier from the monastery in the Vatican grounds, where he died Saturday aged 95.
An Italian nun, Sister Anna-Maria, who was in the early morning queue, reported, “I arrived at 6:00 am; it seemed normal to come and pay homage to him after all he did for the church.”
Benedict was the pope of the Catholic Church for eight years before stepping down in 2013, citing his declining physical health. His resignation makes him the first pope in six centuries to resign.
His successor Pope Francis will lead the funeral on Thursday in St Peter’s Square before his remains are laid to rest in the tombs beneath the Basilica.
Benedict, a German theologian, died at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery, which had been his home for the past decade.
The Vatican on Sunday released photos of his corpse, dressed in red papal mourning robes and wearing a gold-edged mitre on his head, on a catafalque in the monastery chapel.
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Public members will be able to pay their respects at St Peter’s Basilica from 9:00 am (0800 GMT) on Monday and then on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Benedict’s shocking resignation created the extraordinary situation of having two “men in white” — him and Francis — at the Vatican.
His funeral will also break new ground.
Papal deaths usually trigger the calling of a conclave of cardinals to elect a successor, but this time Francis remains in post and will lead proceedings.
Benedict’s funeral will be “solemn but simple”, the Vatican has said, after which he will be buried in the papal tombs under St Peter’s Basilica.
The Vatican has yet to release details of the guest list beyond saying it will include delegations from Italy and Benedict’s native Germany.
‘Faithful servant’
The last papal funeral of John Paul II in 2005 drew a million faithful and heads of state from around the world, although Benedict was a more divisive figure.
A brilliant theologian, he alienated many Catholics with his staunch defence of traditional values and, as pope, struggled to impose his authority on the church as it battled a string of crises, including over clerical sex abuse.
His successor cuts a very different figure, an Argentine Jesuit who is most at home among his flock and has sought to forge a more compassionate church.
Pope Francis paid tribute to Benedict in three New Year’s events at the Vatican over the weekend, “thanking God for the gift of this faithful servant of the Gospel and of the Church”.
Francis, 86, has raised the prospect that he might follow Benedict’s example and step down if he became unable to carry out his duties.
In July, suffering knee problems that have forced him to rely on a wheelchair, he admitted he needed to slow down or think about stepping aside.
Last month, Francis revealed he had signed a resignation letter when he took office should poor health prevent him from carrying out his duties.
Source: guardian.ng
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#Benedict XVI
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