with the death of Benedict XVI, the first pope to resign his office in six centuries of history, the Vatican He has had to devise a funeral chapel and a funeral for which there was no protocol and which will be somewhat different from that of his predecessors.
Fewer authorities, obsequies presided over by a “reigning” pope, little political representation… these are some of the keys to the farewell to the pontiff emeritus, which Pope Francis will celebrate tomorrow, Thursday, starting at 9:30 am (3 :30 am Colombian time) in the Plaza de San Pedro.
It will not be a state funeral
Benedict XVI ceased to be Head of the Catholic Church and of the Vatican State after his resignation in February 2013 and, therefore, a state funeral will not be held. The only officially invited delegations are those of Italy and Germany, his native country, while the rite will be very similar to the traditional one of the pontiffs, but with “adaptations.”
Pope Francis will preside over it, although he will not be the first pontiff to do so
The anomaly of having two popes in the Vatican has meant that Francis is in charge of officiating the funeral of his predecessor, but there was a historical precedent: in 1802, Pius VII celebrated a funeral for Pius VI in Saint Peter’s Square, whose remains they came to Rome from France after his death three years earlier as a prisoner of Napoleon.
few authorities
The Vatican has only officially summoned two delegations, those from Italy and Germany (Joseph Ratzinger’s native country).
The rest of the authorities will attend in a personal capacity, among them the emeritus queen of Spain, Doña Sofía, and King Felipe of Belgium. Portugal, Poland, Slovenia and Hungary will send their presidents while France and Colombia will be represented by ministers.
Nor has the US confirmed the presence of a White House envoy, despite the fact that Joe Biden is the second Catholic president in the country’s history.
A lower attendance than the last funeral of a Pope
In 2005, during John Paul II’s funeral, the area around Saint Peter’s Square received 300,000 people. On this occasion, the authorities expect the arrival of some 60,000 faithful, although the real data could be higher, since more than 160,000 people have passed through the burning chapel when the predictions were about 100,000.
Benedict will be buried in the tomb of John Paul II
The remains of Benedict XVI will rest in the Vatican caves, where the popes are buried, and they will do so in the old tomb of John Paul II. Here there will be no changes in protocol: as tradition dictates, he will be welcomed by three coffins, one made of cypress lined with crimson velvet, another made of lead and, finally, one made of elm wood.
EFE
#funeral #Benedict #XVI #Saint #Peters #Square