Pope Francis presided over the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on Thursday, delivering a homily comparing his predecessor to Jesus to tens of thousands of mourners in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.
To the sound of bells, 12 porters carried the wooden coffin containing Benedict XVI’s remains out of St. Peter’s Basilica and placed it on the ground in front of the largest church in Christendom.
Applause broke out on the vast cobbled esplanade, shrouded in mist, as a sign of respect for Benedict XVI, a hero of conservative Roman Catholics who shocked the world by resigning nearly a decade ago.
Francisco arrived at the square in a wheelchair. Worried about a knee problem, the pontiff sat in a chair looking down at the coffin, hunched over slightly and his face sullen like choirs singing in Latin.
In his homily delivered from the same venue, Francis used more than a dozen biblical references and church writings in which he appeared to be comparing Benedict to Jesus, including his last words before dying on the cross: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”
Francis has also referred to Benedict indirectly in paraphrases of other biblical references to Jesus, including “to love means to be ready to suffer” and that the congregation was “handing our brother over to the father”.
Also referring to Benedict during the Mass concelebrated by 125 cardinals, 200 bishops and about 3,700 priests, Francis spoke of the “wisdom, tenderness and devotion that he has given us over the years”.
He mentioned Benedict by name only once, in the last line, saying: “Benedict, faithful friend of the Bridegroom, (Jesus) may your joy be complete in hearing your voice, now and forever!”
Clerics from around the world, a handful of heads of state and thousands of worshipers attended the ceremony as the sun slowly broke through the mist.
More than 1,000 Italian security guards were called in to help protect the event, and the airspace around the tiny Holy See was closed for the day. Italy ordered flags across the country to be flown at half-mast.
“Left your mark”
People from all over the world, many from Germany, Benedict XVI’s home country, began to arrive in the dark of dawn to say goodbye to the pope emeritus.
“Although at our age we were just children when he was pope, he left his mark,” Xavier Mora, 24, a Spaniard studying for the priesthood in Rome, told Reuters as he approached the square with two other seminarians.
“We have been studying his theology for three years and, although we have not met him personally, we have great affection and esteem for him”, he said.
About 200,000 people passed by the body of Benedict XVI until Wednesday night.
An account of Benedict XVI’s papacy, along with other items including Vatican coins minted during his reign, was also placed in the coffin.
The account of his life and papacy, written in Latin, says he “fought steadfastly” against sexual abuse by clergy in the Church.
While many leading figures have praised Benedict XVI since his death, criticism has also been leveled, including by victims of clergy sexual abuse, who accused him of trying to protect the Church at all costs.
After the funeral ceremony, the coffin will be taken back inside the Basilica and wrapped in zinc before being sealed in a second wooden coffin.
With Benedict XVI no longer head of state when he died, only two countries, Italy and his native Germany, sent official delegations on Thursday.
Francis himself has made it clear that he would not hesitate to step down someday if his mental or physical health prevented him from carrying out his duties, but Vatican officials have always doubted that he could do so while Benedict was still alive.
Although Benedict XVI avoided public appearances in the following years, he remained a standard bearer for conservative Catholics who felt alienated by the reforms introduced by Francis, including the crackdown on the old Latin Mass.
At his request, Benedict XVI will be buried later on Thursday in the Vatican’s underground grottoes, in the niche where first Pope John XXIII and then John Paul II were buried before their remains were moved to more prominent places in the basilica above.
Source: CNN Brasil
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