Theophilus Afe

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...

Fireworks rise about Berlin's Brandenburg Gate in Germany on December 31, 2022. New Year's Eve is a time of hope — and countries around the globe are celebrating in hopes of a better time, despite the war in Europe and the still-lingering coronavirus pandemic. Natural disasters and conflict will mean muted celebrations in parts of the world, including Ukraine All updates in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). 2306: An hour into 2023, Ukraine is reporting fresh explosions around its capital, Kyiv. Kyiv city and region officials said on the Telegram messaging app that air defense systems were working. It was not immediately known whether any targets were hit. 2300: It's officially 2023 in Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Stockholm, Belgrade and Warsaw among other European capitals. Several African countries, including Morocco, Algeria, Nigeria, Ghana and Angola are also welcoming the new year. In his New Year address, German Chancellor Olaf Schol...

Joseph Marley, the eldest son of eight-time Grammy-winner Stephen Marley and second grandchild of reggae legend Bob Marley, has died at age 31. The Jamaican-American recording artist and DJ, known professionally as Jo Mersa, was found unresponsive in a vehicle on Tuesday, Dec. 27, according to Kingston, Jamaica-based journalist Abka Fitz-Henley, who was the first to report the news. A representative for Jo Mersa later confirmed the news to Rolling Stone. A cause of death has not been revealed, although South Florida radio station WZPP has reported that the artist died of an asthma attack. Joseph Marley was born on March 12, 1991, in Kingston, and the third-generation Marley grew up surrounded by music, performing onstage at age 4 with Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers — his father, his uncle Ziggy, and his aunts Cedella and Sharon — during that group’s concert finales. He moved to Florida at age 11, where he studied studio engineering and observed his father and u...

Former Pope Benedict XVI leads his final general audience before his retirement in St Peter's Square on February 27, 2013 in Vatican City. Pope Benedict XVI has died at his Vatican residence, aged 95, almost a decade after he stood down because of ailing health. He led the Catholic Church for less than eight years until, in 2013, he became the first Pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415. Benedict spent his final years at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery within the walls of the Vatican. His successor Pope Francis said he had visited him there frequently. The Vatican said in a statement: "With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. "Further information will be provided as soon as possible." The Vatican said the body of the Pope Emeritus will be placed in St Peter's Basilica from 2 January for "the greeting of the faithful". Pl...