Pope Francis hailed the “beloved” Benedict XVI on Sunday in a New Year’s Day service at the Vatican, the day after his predecessor died aged 95.
“Today we entrust the beloved pope emeritus Benedict XVI to the most holy mother (the Virgin Mary), to accompany him in his passage from this world to God,” Francis said.
Benedict, a conservative intellectual who in 2013 became the first pontiff in six centuries to resign, died on Saturday at his home in a monastery inside the grounds of the Vatican.
His body will be moved on Monday morning to St Peter’s Basilica, where for three days the public will be able to pay their respects before a funeral on Thursday overseen by Francis.
The ceremony will be “solemn but simple”, the Vatican has said, after which he will be buried in the papal tombs under St Peter’s Basilica.
The last papal funeral, of John Paul II in 2005, drew a million faithful and heads of state from around the world, although Benedict was a more divisive figure.
A brilliant theologian, he alienated many Catholics with his staunch defence of traditional values and as pope struggled to impose his authority on the church as it battled a string of crises, including over clerical sex abuse.
– Two men in white –
US President Joe Biden, a devout Catholic, praised Benedict’s “devotion to the Church”, while Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed him as a “defender of traditional Christian values”.
His death brought to an end an unprecedented situation in which two “men in white” — Benedict and Francis — had co-existed within the walls of the tiny city-state.
Benedict’s health had been declining for a long time, and he had almost entirely withdrawn from public view when the Vatican revealed on Wednesday that his situation had worsened.
At a New Year’s Eve service on Saturday evening, Francis paid tribute to his “dearest” predecessor, saying he was “so noble, so kind”.
After the service on Sunday morning for the World Day of Peace at St Peter’s Basilica, the pontiff will address the faithful in St Peter’s Square for the Angelus prayer at 1100 GMT.
Francis, 86, has raised the prospect that he might follow Benedict’s example and step down if he became unable to carry out his duties.
In July, suffering knee problems that have forced him to rely on a wheelchair, he admitted he needed to slow down or think about stepping aside.
