Pope Francis will celebrate Thursday, from 9:30 a.m., Place Saint-Pierre The funeral of his predecessor.
MO12345LEMONDE With AFP
Thousands of faithful flocked on Monday January 2, to the Vatican to pay a final tribute to Benedict XVI, who died Saturday at 95 and whose body is exposed under the gold of the Saint-Pierre basilica, in Rome, before His funeral on Thursday. Pope Francis will celebrate Thursday, from 9:30 a.m., place Saint-Pierre the funeral of his predecessor.
A long queue winding on the Saint-Pierre square surrounded by the Colonnade du Bernin was formed at dawn, in the presence of many media and an important security device.
The body of Joseph Ratzinger is based on a catafalque stretched with golden yellow fabric, framed by two Swiss guards in a ceremonial outfit rising custody, in front of the main altar of the basilica dominated by a bronze ball with twisted colonnades. The deceased pope is dressed in red (the color of the papal mourning) and wearing a white miter decorated with a golden skewer, a rosary in the hands.
A large candle is lit behind him and many candles burn in the background. Several cardinals and members of the Curia are present, including the private secretary of Pope Emeritus, Mgr Georg Gänswein, who receives hand handles as a sign of condolences.
Visit from the Italian Prime Minister
The doors of the huge basilica opened to the public at 9 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m., to reopen from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. The entry is free and does not require the booking of tickets. The far -right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was among the first visitors.
The Saint-Pierre Basilica, completed in 1626, masterpiece of architecture mixing Renaissance and Baroque styles, is one of the most holy places of Christianity, since it houses the burial of the apostle Saint Peter, disciple of Christ and first bishop of Rome, whose popes are the successors.
brilliant theologian and fervent goalkeeper of dogma, Benedict XVI, who had given up in 2013 his charge because of his declining forces, died peacefully on Saturday morning in the monastery where he had lived since his renunciation in 2013, located in the heart Vatican gardens.