The funeral mass of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI will be held in front of St. Peter’s Basilica at 9:30 am on January 5, and preparations have entered the final stage of confirmation. More than 400 bishops and about 4,000 priests will concelebrate at that time, and more than 600 journalists have registered to cover the event. The funeral mass will be broadcast live worldwide.
(Vatican News Network)“God, you have called your servant Benedict to lead the Church according to your providence. Grant him the grace to participate in heaven in the eternal glory of your Son. He has labored as the representative of your Son on earth. ’” Pope Francis will say this prayer during the funeral mass of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. The funeral Mass will be held at 9:30 am on January 5 in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. At that time, in addition to Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Head of the College of Cardinals in front of the altar, more than 120 cardinals, more than 400 bishops and nearly 4,000 priests will concelebrate together. It is estimated that more than 60,000 believers will be present at the ceremony.
Both Germany and Italy will send official delegations to Pope Ratzinger’s funeral. In addition, many Christian churches will also be represented. For example, Emmanuel, Metropolitan of Gazeton, will represent the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, and Archbishop Antony, chairman of the Russian Orthodox Church Relations with Foreign Churches, will represent the church. Bishops from numerous Orthodox communities in Europe, America and Asia will also be present, as will Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, chairman of the Central Council of the World Council of Churches.
After 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 4, that is, after the viewing period in St. Peter’s Basilica, the body of the pope emeritus will be placed in a coffin made of cypress wood, and his papal chaplain will follow the tradition. Orders and coins from his tenure, his wool shoulder straps as Archbishop of Munich and Bishop of Rome, and a brief history of Pope Ratzinger’s pastoral ministry sealed in a metal cylinder box were placed in the coffin.
At 8:45 a.m. on January 5, the body of Pope Benedict XVI will be carried to the steps in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. Bruni, director of the Vatican’s press office, explained to reporters on Tuesday, January 3 that the liturgy will follow the pattern of funerals of reigning popes, with several unique elements added, minor adjustments and deletions. For example, the prayers of the diocese of Rome and the Eastern Church for the incumbent pope at the time of the ceremony have been deleted, and the readings in Spanish and English will be different. The first of five prayers for the faithful will be prayed to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in German, followed by four prayers in French, Arabic, Portuguese and Italian.
In the offering, Cardinal Ray will pray: “Through the power of this sacrifice, please have mercy on your servant Benedict, the servant of your flock whom you have appointed as the supreme shepherd, so that he may enter the kingdom of heaven. Holy Bishops.” At Eucharist, Pope Francis will implore the Lord in the name of the whole Church and of all the faithful present: “May your servant Benedict, faithfully dispense the holy and mystical man, can sing of your mercy in the eternal glory of the saints.”
At the end of Mass, Pope Francis will preside over the final farewell service. The coffin of the pope emeritus will then be carried into St. Peter’s Basilica for burial in the Vatican catacombs. In a subsequent private ceremony, the coffin will be sealed with a rope and sealed with the seals of the Council of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pope’s Palace and the Ceremonial Office.
The cypress coffin was then placed inside a larger zinc coffin, which then sealed the entire coffin. Afterwards, the coffin will be placed in a wooden box in the tomb in front of the beatified Pope John Paul II.
Those who watched the funeral through TV and the Internet will see Benedict XVI in the coffin being carried from the main hall to the steps in front of the main hall, until the mass is completed and the coffin is carried back to the main hall. About one hour and 45 minutes. More than 600 journalists have registered to report on this event.
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