During the Angelus prayer, celebrated on 1 January, the Pope expressly mentioned Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, called by the Lord on 31 December last year. The body of the Pope emeritus, deposited in the church of the Mother of the Church, was moved to St. Peter’s Basilica on the morning of 2 January so that the faithful would pay homage and take their leave.
(Vatican News Network)Pope Francis leads the faithful to recite the Angelus at the window of the Vatican study on January 1. Before singing, he said, “at the beginning of the new year we entrust this year to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Today we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of God. At this moment we ask for her intercession, especially for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to intercede, she left this world yesterday morning.
The pope expressed his grief over the death of his predecessor, while also expressing his gratitude to the former pope. On December 31, Pope Francis called the Pope Emeritus a “grace to the Church and to the world” in First Vespers of the Mother of God. On the same day, the Holy See press office released an image of the Abbey of the Mother of the Church, where the body of the Pope Emeritus is temporarily placed in the Vatican Gardens.
Director of the Vatican Press Office Bruni on January 1 Pope Francis indeed came to the Abbey of the Mother of the Church a few minutes after the death of the pope emeritus at 9:34 on December 31. He explained that he arrived at the monastery by car immediately after Archbishop Georg Gänswein, personal secretary of the pope emeritus, had reported the death of the pope emeritus to Pope Francis. During his public audience on Wednesday, December 28, Pope Francis asked for special prayers for Pope Benedict XVI, whose health has deteriorated.
Those who took care of Benedict XVI until the end said that Pope Francis was the first to greet Benedict XVI, the pope emeritus passed away very peacefully. The current pope prays in front of the body of Benedict XVI temporarily placed in the chapel of the Abbey of the Mother of the Church. Next to the remains are a large cross, a nativity scene and a Christmas tree. On New Year’s Day, the cardinals and some people close to the Pope emeritus came to the chapel to greet him. From 9 in the morning on 2 January until before the funeral on 5 January, the body of the Pope emeritus was placed in St. Peter’s Basilica for the faithful to pay homage and take their leave.
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