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Pope Francis presided over the funeral of his predecessor Benedict XVI.
Pope Francis presided over the funeral of his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, before thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square in Rome on Thursday.
Various personalities such as Queen Emeritus Sofía of Spain, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish President Andrzej Duda, among others, were present at the ceremony.
In his homily, Pope Francis highlighted the work of the German Benedict XVI at the head of the Church since 2005, replacing John Paul II, until 2013 when he resigned.
“Benedict, faithful friend of the Bridegroom, may your joy be perfect in hearing his voice definitively and forever,” the Pope said.
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Pope Benedict XVI was the first German pontiff in more than a millennium.
It was the first time that a high priest had resigned from office in more than 600 years.
Benedict XVI, whose secular name before his election was Joseph Ratzinger, was also a prominent theologian and the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith during the papacy of John Paul II.
Thousands of people came to Saint Peter’s Square to bid farewell to the pope emeritus and some even carried banners calling for his immediate canonization.
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Pope Francis arrived in wheelchairs for the funeral of Benedict XVI.
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Thousands of people came to Saint Peter’s Square to bid farewell to Benedict XVI.
image source, Frank Origlia
Spain’s Queen Emeritus Sofia and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni were present at the funeral.
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The funeral was attended by several cardinals.
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The ceremony featured rites from previous papal funerals.
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Despite the winter cold, people flocked to bid farewell to Benedict XVI.
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