Rome CNN —
The estate of former Pope Benedict XVI, who died Saturday at the age of 95, began Monday at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City ahead of his funeral later this week.
Benedict, who became the first pope in nearly 600 years to resign rather than hold office for life, died December 31 in a convent in Vatican City, according to a Vatican statement.
He was elected Pope in April 2005 after the death of John Paul II.
The body of the former pope was transferred from the monastery to St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday morning, where it was laid out for the faithful to say farewell, the Vatican said.
Mourners lining up in St. Peter’s Square told CNN they wanted to pay their respects to the former pope.
“We’re just here to pray, to thank God for the life of Pope Benedict,” said Paul, a student from Scotland.
“Apart from his theology, which was very important to the church, I think all the time he spent praying for the church in his retirement was a very great testimony for all of us.”
Benedict’s funeral will take place Thursday at 9:30 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m. ET) in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, according to the director of the Holy See’s press office, Matteo Bruni. The funeral will be presided over by Pope Francis. According to Benedikt’s wishes, his funeral should be “simple”, said Bruni.
Francis paid tribute to his predecessor as he led Sunday’s Angelus prayer.
“This greeting goes in particular to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who passed away yesterday morning. We salute him as a faithful minister of the gospel,” he said.
Benedict has been known to be more conservative than his successor, Pope Francis, who has taken steps to soften the Vatican’s position on abortion and homosexuality and to do more to deal with the sex abuse crisis that has gripped and tarnished the Church in recent years Benedict’s legacy.
He stunned Catholic believers and religious experts around the world in 2013 when he announced plans to step down as pope, citing his “advanced age.”
In his farewell speech, the outgoing pope vowed to remain “hidden” from the world, but he continued to speak out on religious issues in the years after his retirement, adding to tensions within the Catholic Church.
His death led to tributes from political and religious leaders including US President Joe Biden, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the Dalai Lama.