At the age of 95, the former Pope Benedict passed away on Saturday at the Vatican. Prior to his funeral, which is scheduled for January 5, the remains of former Pope Benedict XVI, who passed away on Saturday, will lay in state at St. Peter’s Basilica beginning on Monday.
Prior To Funeral
Benedict’s remains will stay in the tiny monastery where he lived inside the Vatican until early Monday morning. There won’t be any official viewings of his body or open prayers at this period.
It will be transferred to St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday, where it will be on display for visitors on January 2, 3, and 4 from 9 a.m. (0800 GMT) until 7 p.m. (1800 GMT).
Funeral
The funeral service for Benedict will take place on January 5 in St. Peter’s Square in front of the basilica. Pope Francis will serve as the master of ceremonies for the event, which will begin at 9:30 a.m. (0830 GMT).
According to the desires of Benedict, the burial would be straightforward, serious, and sober, according to Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni.
Burial
The remains of Benedict will be sent to St. Peter’s Basilica following the service, according to the Vatican, where it will be interred in the Vatican Grottoes, where more than 90 popes have already found their eternal rest.
The retired pope had written a spiritual bequest specifying that he intended to be interred in the same crypt where John Paul II was initially laid to rest in 2005, according to a 2020 report by Peter Seewald, Benedict’s authorised biographer, in the Bavarian newspaper Passauer Neue Presse.
Life of Pope Benedict
Pope Benedict XVI, the third and youngest child of police officer Joseph Ratzinger Sr. and Maria Ratzinger (née Peintner), was born on April 16, 1927, in Marktl am Inn, Germany. On the same day as his birth, he underwent baptism. In 1939, he obtained both his First Communion and Confirmation. He was raised in a devoted Catholic family.
Pope Benedict XVI was enlisted in the German anti-aircraft corps in 1943 when he was 16 years old. Later, he was transferred to a work camp where he was a bricklayer. When he was finally freed from the work camp in 1945, he went back home and finished high school. Later, he attended the University of Munich to study philosophy and theology, and in 1951, he was ordained as a priest.
Benedict XVI’s Career
In the beginning of his career, Pope Benedict XVI taught theology at numerous colleges in Germany and other nations. He was named the Archbishop of Munich and Freising in 1977, and Pope John Paul II created him a cardinal in 1981.
Pope John Paul II died in April 2005, and Pope Benedict XVI was elected in his place. He was the oldest Pope chosen since 1730 at the age of 78. He was well-known as Pope for his orthodox Catholic teachings and conservative viewpoints. He was also well-known for his ardent opposition to abortion, contraception & same sex marriage.
Pope Benedict XVI travelled widely while in office, visiting more than 50 nations. In addition, he was the first pope to go to a mosque in Turkey and a synagogue in the United States. He was also the first Pope to travel to the UK in almost 30 years.
Pope Benedict XVI was active until his resignation in 2013, despite his senior age. On February 11, 2013, he made his resignation public and claimed his age and deteriorating health as justifications. He was the first Pope to step down in in 600 years, and Catholics all around the world were shocked and taken aback by his choice.
On April 2, 2021, Pope Benedict XVI passed away in his home in the Vatican at the age of 95. Catholics all around the world lamented his passing, as tributes flowed in from religious and governmental authorities from all over the world.
Pope Benedict XVI will be remembered as a pope who upheld the Catholic Church’s basic doctrines and who showed a great concern for the welfare of the underprivileged and the disadvantaged. He was an extremely intelligent and capable leader who guided the Catholic Church through some of its most trying times.
