By the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella and the German one Frank Walter Steinmeier, who will lead the two official delegations that will travel through various royal houses and ministers and institutional representatives of many countries, tomorrow the world will be at the funeral of Benedict XVI. be represented at the highest level.
The Prime Minister is also expected for Italy Giorgia Meloni. There will be a card for the CEI. Matteo Zupi and Msgr. Joseph Baturi.
There will also be a few thousand concelebrants: 3,700 priests in addition to the cardinals and bishops. Also on the square were representatives of other Christian churches, including the Moscow Patriarchate, and also leaders of other faiths, from Muslims to Jews.
The funeral is preceded by a ceremony in which at 8.45, the coffin is carried from the basilica to the churchyard in St. Peter’s Square.
The rosary is then prayed at 9.30 There will be a Mass presided over by Pope Francis.
Then the Rite of Ultima Commendatio and Valedictio.
The final act will be the transport of the coffin through the Basilica to the Vatican Grottoes for burial. From the Belgian royal family to the presidents of Hungary and Poland, numerous political figures will therefore attend Ratzinger’s funeral.
These are participations “in a personal capacity” since the only official delegations foreseen by the ceremony are the Italian and the German.
Her presence was confirmed by the mother of the King of Spain, Queen Sophiathe King and Queen of Belgium, Philip and Mathildethe Polish President Andrzej Dudathe portuguese Marcelo Nuno Duarte Rebelo de Sousawho also decreed a day of national mourning for tomorrow in his country Hungary Katalin Novak and the Bavarian governor Markus Soder.
There will also be Royal House of Savoy represented by Clotilde and Victoria.
Numerous religious leaders will also pay homage to the Pope Emeritus. Among these, the Metropolitan of the Russian Church confirmed their presence Anthony of Volokolamsk and a delegation from the Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople.
Also at the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. A federal delegation will be present at the Vatican Jewish Community of Rome.
For Muslims, the President ofUcoi Yassine Lafram and the Vice President of Coreis Yahya PallavicinThe.
There was a strong presence of clergymen who had traveled from Benedict’s country. The German Church will see at least ten bishops among the concelebrants of the funeral, including the head of the bishops’ conference, Monsignor Georg Bätzingthe Cardinal Archbishop of Monk Reinhard Marx and the Cardinal of the Archdiocese of Cologne Rainer Maria Wolki. Even representatives of Catholic universities, such as the Rector of the Cattolica Franco rings.