At the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, Francis commemorates his predecessor, who died yesterday, as he did this morning at the Te Deum and in the Mass. A few minutes after his death, Francis had gone to the Mater Ecclesiae to pray next to Ratzinger’s body, which now rests in the monastery’s chapel.
Salvatore Cernuzio and Tiziana Campisi, Vatican City
“In these hours we ask for your intercession, especially for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who left this world yesterday morning. We all come together, with one heart and one soul, to give thanks to God for the gift of this faithful servant of the gospel and church.”
With words of sincere affection, Francis summed up his sadness at the death of his predecessor, but also his gratitude for the man whom he had already called a “gift to the Church and the world” in yesterday’s Te Deum. Benedict, “the good grandfather”, the “father” and “brother” as he had defined him during these years of the pontificate, died yesterday morning and the Vatican Press Office published a few minutes ago images of the body of the Pope Emeritus, who It “rests” in the chapel of the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, the structure in the Vatican Gardens just a short walk from the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, which Ratzinger chose as his residence after resigning from the Petrine ministry in 2013.
Pope Francis yesterday in the Mater Ecclesiae immediately after his death
Yesterday morning Francisco went to the monastery a few minutes after 9:34, the time of death. This was confirmed today by the director of the Press Office of the Vatican, Matteo Bruni, and explained that the Pope had arrived by car at the Mater Ecclesiae at around 10 a.m. immediately after being notified by the Special Secretary, Monsignor Georg Gänswein. He had already done so last Wednesday, December 28, immediately after alerting the world to Ratzinger’s deteriorating health and asking for “a special prayer” for him.
The corpse in the monastery chapel
Pope Bergoglio was the first to visit the deceased, who, according to those who stood by him in the last minutes of his life, died with great serenity. The Pope prayed next to the body, which, as has been said, is now in the chapel of the Mater Ecclesiae, next to a nativity scene with red ornaments. No visits are planned at the moment. Starting tomorrow at 9 a.m. and for another three days until the burial on January 5, the body will be displayed in St. Peter’s Basilica for the veneration of the faithful.
The body of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. in the chapel Mater Ecclesiae.
Applause and flags in St. Peter’s Square
As already mentioned, Pope Francis remembered his predecessor this morning at Mass in the Vatican Basilica and entrusted him to the intercession of the Virgin Mary. Again at the Angelus, he asked the 40,000 faithful present in St. Peter’s Square to pray unitedly for his soul, also citing the RAI program “A Sua Immagine”, which used images of the “activity” and “life” of Joseph Ratzinger be seen His words were followed by applause from those present on the square, from which German flags or those with the name “Benedict XVI” were waving.
Published the document drafted by the Pope Emeritus on August 29, 2006