Pope Benedict XVI Laid To Rest Amidst 50,000 People In St Peter’s Square.

Pope Benedict XVI funeral a mix of ancient rituals and new precedents. Funeral for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI held 1:39 Pope Francis presided at the funeral on Jan. 5 in St. Peter's Square for his predecessor former Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who died at the age of 95. VATICAN CITY — The Catholic Church conducted a historic funeral Thursday for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, using a mix of ancient rituals and new precedents for a figure who transformed the papacy with his decision 10 years ago to retire. Pope Francis presided over the 90-minute ceremony, a stripped-down farewell in which he paid tribute to his predecessor with a homily light on personal touches and heavy on verse, mentioning Benedict’s name only once. Afterward, as Benedict was being carried away by pallbearers, Francis — standing with the help of a cane — put his hand on the casket for a final goodbye. Here's what to know: Francis’s homily drew some backlash from conservatives, who felt that the pope did not adequately capture Benedict’s legacy. It is likely to deepen the debate about how the two figures got along. The Vatican estimates roughly 50,000 people attended the ceremony, about one-sixth of the crowd from the previous papal funeral, in 2005. Benedict, who died Saturday at age 95, was buried after the funeral in the grottoes of St. Peter’s Basilica, in a spot that previously held the remains of Pope John Paul II, the Vatican confirmed. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died on Dec. 31 at the age of 95 on the Vatican grounds, where he had spent nearly all of the last 10 years of his life in retirement. The Vatican said Thursday that the body of the late pope had been buried in the grottoes beneath St. Peter’s Basilica during a private ceremony. MOVIE: What ‘The Two Popes’ movie missed about Benedict and Francis’s relationship. “The Two Popes,” released in 2019, is a semi-comedic bromance set during a historic transition for the church. The film depicts a period in 2012 when Benedict was still pope and had no real relationship with Francis, who was then Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires. In the movie, a contrived narrative brings the men together. Bergoglio (played by Jonathan Pryce) flies to Italy to meet with Benedict (played by Anthony Hopkins) and beg permission to retire. (This, as far as we know, did not happen.) The two men spar and measure their differences, over days, until Benedict warms to Bergoglio’s more modern point of view. Benedict confides his own shocking plan to retire and then confesses his sins and failings to a man he has come to see as a worthy successor. Bergoglio teaches Benedict to dance the tango, the two watch a World Cup match together, and the credits roll. Francis’s funeral role was unusual, but not quite unprecedented. It is exceedingly unusual for a pope to help bury his predecessor. But it has happened at least once before, in 1802. The circumstances were much different. In that instance, Pius VII assisted during the ceremony for Pius VI, who had died three years earlier in exile in France, a prisoner of Napoleon. The church held the belated funeral after his remains were transferred back to Rome. Benedict also presided over the funeral of his predecessor — but it was when he was still known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, 10 days before being elected pope. In the homily, Ratzinger mixed verse and biography, describing John Paul II as a pope who “tried to meet everyone,” and who opened “his heart to all.” Who were the previous popes who resigned? Pope Benedict IX, in 1045: At age 33 and about 10 years into his term, Benedict IX resigned to get married — with enticement from his godfather, who paid him to quit. Pope Gregory VI, in 1046: After replacing his godson, Gregory VI stepped down a year later, urged by a council of church leaders to resign for bribing his way into office. Pope Celestine V, in 1294: A former hermit and reluctant pope, Celestine V decreed after five months in office that popes could resign — which he did. His successor locked him up in an Italian castle, where Celestine died in 1296. What to know about the Vatican grottoes. Sitting popes can specify their desired burial location. Some have designated important churches in Rome or their local parishes. But the majority have chosen St. Peter’s Basilica — putting them in proximity to the disciple of Jesus who would go on to lead the early Christian Church. A marble plaque on the wall indicates that 148 popes — out of 264, not counting Benedict and Francis — have been interred there, though some of those were subsequently moved. Today, the remains of 91 popes are in the Vatican grottoes, while those who have been sainted have more prominent spots within the basilica. A memorial clouded by abuse. As pope, Benedict XVI presided over some of the rockiest years of the church’s generation-long fight against abuse, as scandals rippled across Europe. As a cardinal, he had run the Vatican office handling abuse cases. And last year, a church-commissioned investigation in Germany accused him of “wrongdoing” in a handful of cases when he served as archbishop in Munich, from 1977 to 1982. Advocates for victims have been withering about his legacy. Ending Clergy Abuse, a global victims network, encouraged state delegations not to attend the funeral and called Benedict XVI “one of the chief architects of the coverup of abuse in the Catholic Church.” Why are popes buried in three coffins? Traditionally, three coffins are involved in the burial of a pope: an inner coffin made of cypress and bound shut with red ribbons; a slightly larger middle casket made of zinc and adorned with a cross, the pope’s name, the years of his papacy and his personal coat of arms; and an outer casket of elm or walnut, which is sealed with gold nails. The symbolism behind the three coffins is not widely understood. Christopher Bellitto, a historian at Kean University in New Jersey who studies the church, said via email that the tradition is “arcane.” Massimo Faggioli, a Villanova University professor of theology, suggested the three coffins could offer heightened protection of the pope’s body — perhaps related to a time when the pope was a political figure and his remains needed to be protected from enemies. What Francis has said about retirement Pope Francis has said he views Benedict’s resignation as a precedent — something he would consider doing as well, should his health falter. For now, Francis has knee pain and struggles to walk, but he keeps a busy schedule. If he were to step down, Francis has said he would be known as the bishop emeritus of Rome. He would “surely not” stay in the Vatican. In an interview last year with two Mexican journalists, he said the first experience with a sitting pope and a former pope “went quite well,” because Benedict was “a holy and discreet man, and he knew how to do it well.” How Benedict spent his retirement Benedict showed deference to Pope Francis and said there was only one authority figure at the top. But he continued dressing in white and living within Vatican City. He also chose not to revert to his given name, Joseph Ratzinger. Although he largely withdrew from public life, he was embraced by conservatives as an alternative power, particularly as Francis sought to modernize the church. Benedict caused maelstroms in the rare moments he interjected himself into church debates — and contradicted Francis — on sexual abuse and clerical celibacy. 7:30 a.m. EST. Recap: What’s happened so far. Thousands of Catholic mourners, clergy and the odd well-timed tourist in Rome flocked outside St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday for a final farewell to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Here are some of the highlights of the brief and somewhat stripped-back ceremony led by Pope Francis. Benedict, 95, had been lying in St. Peter’s Basilica since Monday, laid out in red vestments and black clerical shoes. Over 200,000 members of the public are thought to have filed past to pay their last respects to the 265th pope. 6:58 a.m. EST Benedict has been buried, Vatican says. The Vatican says that the body of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has been buried in the grottoes beneath St. Peter’s Basilica. The event was private. Benedict’s body will now rest alongside nearly 100 previous pontiffs, and in the same spot once held by his predecessor John Paul II. When John Paul was beatified in 2011, his coffin was exhumed and relocated to the basilica’s upper level. That spot in the grottoes is near the tomb of St. Peter, the Catholic Church’s first pope. But the closest neighbors are among the non-popes buried beneath the basilica: Queen Christina of Sweden and Queen Charlotte of Cyprus. 6:33 a.m. EST Mixed reaction on the pope’s tribute to Benedict. The reaction is mixed over how Pope Francis paid tribute to Benedict. Rod Dreher, an American commentator who converted to Orthodoxy but shares ideological ground with Catholic traditionalists, attended the funeral and called the homily “appalling” and “an immense sign of disrespect.” But others said Francis had channeled Benedict’s wishes for a low-key affair. Cardinal Wim Eijk, a conservative who held Benedict in high regard, said in an interview that “Benedict did not like attention to himself.” 6:21 a.m. EST What Benedict meant for the Catholic traditionalist movement. Benedict’s death does not cause the extraordinary tremors that would have resulted had he remained pontiff. In the coming days, there will be no conclave, no intrigue, no white smoke. But his death leaves the Catholic traditionalist movement — which has opposed modernizing moves by Pope Francis and saw Benedict, even in retirement, as a protector of eternal truths — without a figure of comparable clout. Joseph Ratzinger first gained prominence as a conservative theologian and academic in Germany. As pope, he spoke about the dangers of secularism and societies that didn’t allow religious points of view. With pronouncements — and sometimes with purges of liberal theologians — he held the church line on social teachings. His appointment of conservative bishops helped push the American church toward the right. He also eased restrictions on the Latin Mass, an ancient rite adored by traditionalists — a move that was later reversed by Pope Francis. Francis also has reseeded the College of Cardinals with more like-minded figures, increasing the odds — although hardly guaranteeing — that the next pope has a progressive bent. Join the conversation. Make your opinions and comments on the link provided below this post. Do you like Gist, Movies, Television Programs, Musical Videos, Sports, Political News, Relationship & Celebrity Gossips? Do you want to be the first to know? 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