Pope Francis sounded the alarm about the 95-year-old Benedict's health when he asked during his weekly Wednesday general audience for a special prayer for his predecessor, saying the retired pope was “very sick.”
FILE - Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI arrives in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican to attend the beatification ceremony of Pope Paul VI, on Oct. 19, 2014. Pope Francis on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022, said his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, is very sick," and he asked the faithful to pray for the retired pontiff so God will comfort him to the very end. – The Vatican has detailed rituals and procedures to follow when a pope dies, but it has not published such rules for a pope emeritus.
Francis later visited Benedict at his home in Vatican City. the Vatican Gardens. The Vatican spokesman confirmed that Benedict had experienced a worsening in his condition, due to his age, in the previous few hours but said the situation was under control. The rites themselves are contained in the tome “Roman Rituale," which lays out how liturgical rites are to be celebrated, with specific prayers and readings.
One thing that would distinguish a funeral for Benedict from that of the reigning pope is the nine days of funeral rites before burial, called the “novemdiales,” presumably would not take place, Melloni said. But one tradition that would be retained is the placing on the casket of the book of the Gospels.
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