January 4 is the last day on which the faithful can greet the body of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI placed in St. Peter’s Basilica: on this day, around 60,000 people flocked to pay homage to his remains. From 2 to 4, about 200,000 people paid homage to Benedict XVI in St. Peter’s Basilica, pausing briefly and praying in front of his remains.
(Vatican News Network)On 5 January at 9:30 the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was held in St. Peter’s Square, presided over by Pope Francis. Two official delegations will be present at the funeral of Pope Benedict XVI: one from Italy, led by President Sergio Mattarell; a delegation led by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The announcement noted that many other heads of state and government attended the solemn funeral. 1,100 journalists signed up to cover the event.
According to data provided by the Vatican Guard, on January 4, until 7 in the evening, about 60 thousand people entered St. Peter’s Basilica to greet Benedict XVI. In the two days of 2 and 3, 135,000 people visited the remains of Benedict XVI. Thus, in the three days from 2 to 4 January, a total of about 200,000 people stopped and prayed briefly in front of the body of the pope emeritus.
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