Pope Francis prayed for his predecessor's passage to heaven, and expressed gratitude for a lifetime of service to the church, during New Year's Day appearances a day after Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died in retirement at the Vatican.
— Pope Francis prayed for his predecessor's passage to heaven and again expressed thanks for a lifetime of service to the church, during New Year's Day appearances a day after Pope Emeritus Benedict XVISt. Peter's Basilica, where Francis presided over a mid-morning New Year's Mass, will host Benedict's coffin starting on Monday. Thousands of faithful are expected to file by the coffin in three days of viewing.
He departed briefly from reading his homily, with its emphasis on hope and peace, to pray aloud for Benedict. Referring to Mary, Francis said that"in these hours, we invoke her intercession, in particular for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who, yesterday morning, left this world." In the last years, Francis has hailed Benedict's stunning decision to become the first pope to resign in 600 years and has made clear he'd consider such a step as an option for himself.