In what has been termed ‘unprecedented’ in history, a living Pope, Francis, will be in charge of the funeral mass of late Pope Benedict the XVI who died on December 31st 2022.
Vatican authorities announced on Saturday that Pope Francis 85 will be in charge of the funeral mass which will take place by 9:30 A.M. on Thursday January 5, 2023, in Saint Peter’s Square.
Usually in the Catholic Church tradition, when the Pope dies, there is a formal procedure that is followed.
The Pope’s Chief of staff also known as Camerlengo, or Chamberlain is in charge of the entire process which includes:
Certifying his death, arranging for the body to lie in state, organising a funeral and preparing for the election of a successor.
But this case is different in the sense that Pope Benedict the 16th resigned as a Pope in 2013 paving the way for a new Pope which ushered in the era of Pope Francis.
This simply means history was bound to happen for a living Pope to bury his predecessor.
The last Pope to step down was Gregory XII who died far a way from Rome in 1417. He was not given the normal Papal burial rites.
The death of Benedict the 16th will bring in new procedures and protocols for the Church authorities to follow in saying farewell to a formal Pope that will be buried by his successor.
The body of Pope Benedict will be lying in state from Monday January 2 in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome for many to bid their farewell.
In accordance with his wish, the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict’s burial “will be carried out under the sign of simplicity,” Matteo Bruni, Vatican’s spokesman said.
Pope Francis To Celebrate Benedict XVI Funeral Mass January 5
Latest from World News
United States To Assist Ukraine With $6bn Military Aid Package
According to two United States sources, the United States is about to unveil one of its biggest military aid packages for Ukraine, valued at up to $6 billion. To aid Ukraine’s soldiers
U.S. Economy Growth Slowed In First Quarter Amid Inflation Concerns
Amid the ongoing inflation, the American economy grew slower in the first quarter of 2024 with strong consumer spending being driven by a job market that is expanding amid inflation. But the
Bitcoin Price Dips Below $64,000 As Crypto Market Sees $209m In Liquidations
There was a notable decline in the cryptocurrency market, with the price of Bitcoin dropping below $64,000 and the liquidation of almost $209 million in long holdings on Thursday. As of right
Tesla To Cut Over 6,000 Jobs in Texas, California, Reduces Global Workforce By 10%
Following the CEO’s Global Workforce Reduction Directive, Tesla Inc. plans to implement a large job reduction program that will impact more than 6,000 workers throughout its locations in Texas and California. This
Philippines Orders Apple, Google To Remove Binance App, Cites Threat To Investors’ Funds
The Philippines Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) has asked tech behemoths Apple and Google to remove the Binance app from their app stores for Filipino customers due to worries over the security
Follow Us