The body of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, laid out in red vestments, will be available for public viewing until his funeral on Thursday.
For all those who came to pay tribute, he was positioned just in front of the main altar, under the towering golden cupola. Two Swiss Guards stood watch. In the opening public viewing hours — of the 34 total that will lead to his funeral on Thursday — there were nuns holding rosaries, people clasping hands and pilgrims who’d traveled hours to be there.“A giant of the faith,” said Andrea Ascani, 47, who’d driven with his family from the Umbrian hill town of Assisi.
In Benedict’s case, the wait was an hour. The crowds around the basilica were larger than normal, but were contained near the main piazza. According to the Vatican, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., some 40,000 people filed by. John Pauls decline had gripped Catholic faithful because it was so public and painful — just one part of the reason his death provoked such an outpouring. Even days before he died, the 84-year-old pope had appeared at a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square, struggling to pronounce a coherent syllable.But in Benedict’s case, the act of aging happened mostly behind the scenes.
. More than 100,000 people gathered for his final address, some in tears, as he talked about loving the church and having “the courage to make difficult, painful decisions.” The next day, he was whisked away by helicopter to his summer residence, Castel Gandolfo, no longer the pope.Benedict had earned a core place in modern Catholicism even before becoming pope, first with his theological research, then with his two decades as a trusted lieutenant to John Paul.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Pope Benedict XVI, first pope to resign in 600 years, dies at 95Benedict stunned the world on Feb. 11, 2013, when he announced, in his typical, soft-spoken Latin, that he no longer had the strength to run the 1.2 billion-strong Catholic Church.
Read more »
Former Pope Benedict XVI, first pope in centuries to resign, dies at age 95Benedict XVI, the pope who shocked the world by stepping down from the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church in 2013, has died at the age of 95. The Vatican announced his death on Saturday.
Read more »
Pope Benedict XVI, first pope to resign in 600 years, dies at 95Benedict stunned the world on Feb. 11, 2013, when he announced, in his typical, soft-spoken Latin, that he no longer had the strength to run the 1.2 billion-strong Catholic Church.
Read more »
World leaders pay tribute to Pope Benedict XVI after his deathFollowing Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's death, world leaders are offering their condolences and remembrances.
Read more »
San Antonio archbishop pays tribute to Pope Benedict XVIArchbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller is honoring the memory of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who passed away at his home at the Vatican Saturday.
Read more »