ROME, KOMPAS.com – It will be a different ceremony in the long history of the Catholic Church: for the first time a pope will officiate the funeral of another pope.
The ceremony took place on Thursday (5/1/2023) in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, one of the holiest places and an important pilgrimage destination for Catholics.
Pope francescothe current head of the Catholic Church, will officiate the funeral rites of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who died on New Year’s Eve at the age of 95.
Read also: Thousands of pastors attended Pope Benedict’s funeral
Born in Germany as Joseph Ratzinger, he was elected pope in May 2005 after the death of John Paul II. However, in February 2013 Benedict XVI resigned from the top post Vatican – an unusual move that hasn’t occurred in the Church since the 15th century.
No pope had resigned since Gregory XII in 1415, and Benedict was the first person to do so voluntarily since Celestine V in 1294.
And Ratzinger’s decision – due to health problems and aggravated by the burdens of the pope’s office – was also the reason why his funeral and his funeral were different from the others.
“It will be a solemn but simple funeral, just as Benedict XVI requested in his will,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said.
Here are three reasons why the funeral of the Pope Emeritus is unique.
Read also: Pope Francis will lead the funeral of former Pope Benedict XVI
1. Led by a pope
A pope’s funeral is usually officiated by a figure called a Camerlengo (Italian for “servant”), the papal chamberlain. The camerlengo was responsible for leading the Catholic Church in the absence of the pope.
But this time, after Benedict XVI resigned almost 10 years before his death, someone has filled the post: his successor, Francis I.
And for the first time in history, Francis will officiate at the funeral of another pope.
In Vatican history, only one pope has voluntarily abdicated the throne of St. Peter in the same way as Benedict XVI.
It happened in the 13th century, when Pietro Angeleri di Murrone, a priest who lived as an ascetic, was unexpectedly elected pope, because he was not a cardinal.
Read also: In memory of Pope (emeritus) Benedict XVI
He too became Celestine V. However, he soon realized that the job was too much for him and, after just six months in office, he decided to resign and return to his life of exile.
However, Celestine’s death occurred in very different circumstances from that of Benedict XVI: his successor, Boniface VIII, feared that Celestine would be seen as a saint and felt threatened by potential divisions in the Church. Therefore Bonifacio VIII ordered the arrest of Celestino.
Celestine V died in a tower after 10 months of confinement, and of course no official funeral was held for him at that time.
The other abdications of popes recorded in history have not been carried out voluntarily or have occurred as a result of internal conflicts.
Indeed, the last formal abdication dates back to 1415, when Gregory XII, in the midst of what has been called the Western Schism, resigned under political pressure – and his successor was chosen only after his death, two years after.
Read also: When tens of thousands of people pay homage to Pope Benedict…
2. Not followed by election
White smoke on the roof of the Vatican after the appointment of Francis I.One of the great events following the death of a pope is the appointment of a successor, which must happen as soon as possible.
In the early years of Christianity, leaders were chosen from among the apostles, and later from the planters of regional churches as the Church and Christianity developed.
But then the process known as the conclave (from the Latin with a key“a key”), an assembly of cardinals who “locked themselves” in a room to appoint a new head.
Read also: The last words of Pope Benedict XVI before his death
How this practice has been carried out has varied greatly over the centuries (certain conclaves have taken place over the years), but standard protocol is for cardinals to convene in the famous Sistine Chapel of the Vatican.
Behind closed doors and through several voting sessions, they choose the name of the person who will become the next leader of the Catholic Church.
When a majority of votes is reached, a substance is burned to produce white smoke, a sign to the world that a new pope has been elected.
This time there will be neither conclave nor white smoke. Because the electoral process ended after the resignation of Benedict XVI in 2013, which led to the appointment of Jorge Bergoglio who then changed his name to Francis I.
Read also: Pope Benedict XVI dies, body buried 3 days in St. Peter’s Basilica
3. No destruction of the Fisherman’s Ring
Benedict XVI wears his personal papal ring.Upon appointment, each pope receives the Pope’s insignia and insignia, different attributes of attire that clearly identify him as head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Vatican City State.
Among these, a white tunic with pilgrim or cassock, the papal ferula (stick with a cross on it) and the Fishermen’s Ring, a gold ring with the image of St. Peter on a fishing boat.
The cassock has been used by all recent popes, while the ferrule was not specific to any pope – for example, Francis sometimes carried the same cane that Paul VI and John Paul II used.
But the fisherman’s ring is specially designed for each new whale.
Read also: Taiwan will send a special envoy to Pope Benedict’s funeral
And after his death, among the many rituals performed, the ring was smashed with a hammer.
This time it won’t be after Benedict XVI’s death, as his Fisherman’s Ring created in 2005 was “canceled” following his resignation in 2013.
At that time the ring was not destroyed, as was the tradition, but marked with a cross, according to the then Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi.
Benedict XVI was also allowed to continue wearing the simple white cassock – albeit a different one from the one worn by Francis – to underline his status as a former pope, which he still wore when he died.
Read also: Pope Benedict XVI dies at the age of 95
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