The body of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was translated to St Peter’s this morning for three days of lying in state.
The former pontiff’s immediate friends and colleagues had earlier visited the body in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, where Benedict died on Saturday morning.
His personal secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, reported that the last words of the Pope Emeritus, heard by a nurse in the middle of the night of 30 December, were “Signore, ti amo” – “Lord, I love you”.
A lengthy queue to pay respects had already formed in St Peter’s Square when the body was moved to the basilica today.
Benedict’s body is vested in red and wears a gold mitre, but no pallium – the symbol of a prelate’s jurisdiction which he gave up on his retirement in 2013.
Leaders across the world offered tributes to the late Pope Emeritus, many dwelling on his intellectual distinction.
In the US, President Joe Biden said that Benedict would be remembered “as a renowned theologian, with a lifetime of devotion to the Church, guided by his principles and faith”.
He recalled his “generosity and welcome as well as our meaningful conversation” on his visit to Vatican as vice-president in 2011.
“May his focus on the ministry of charity continue to be an inspiration to us all.”
In Brazil, which has the world's largest Catholic population, the newly-installed president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wished “comfort to the faithful and admirers of the Holy Father”.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, praised the former pontiff as an “outstanding theologian, intellectual and promoter of universal values”.
The Italian president, Giorgia Meloni, called Benedict “a giant of faith and reason”, while the chancellor of Benedict’s native Germany, Olaf Scholz, said he was “a formative figure of the Catholic Church, a strident personality and a wise theologian”.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron said that the Pope Emeritus had “worked with all his soul and intelligence for a more fraternal world”.
The President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, remembered Benedict’s “untiring efforts to find a common path in promoting peace and good will throughout the world, including a steadfast interest in peace in Northern Ireland”.
He added that the late Pope Emeritus had highlighted “how our individual responsibilities as citizens require the highest standards of ethics in our actions”.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, also praised his “tenacious commitment to non-violence and peace”.
From the UK, the King sent a message of condolence to Pope Francis, saying that he received the news of Benedict’s death “with deep sadness”.
He recalled the papal visit to the UK in 2010, as well as the former pontiff’s “constant efforts to promote peace and good will to all people, and to strengthen the relationship between the global Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church”.
The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, also remembered the 2010 visit as “an historic moment for Catholics and non-Catholics throughout our country”. Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the opposition, said the visit had been “historic and joyous”.
Pope Francis entrusted the New Year to Our Lady at the Angelus on Sunday, and invited the faithful to invoke her intercession for the late Pope Emeritus.
“Let us all join together, with one heart and one soul, in thanking God for the gift of this faithful servant of the Gospel and of the Church,” he said.
Loading ...
