Vatican, 03 January, 2023 / 9:45 pm (ACI Africa).
Following the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, these are the details you should know about his funeral in the Vatican.
Benedict XVI passed away on Dec. 31 at 9:34 a.m. Rome time. As confirmed by his personal secretary Archbishop Georg Gänswein, his last words were “Signore, ti amo !” (Lord, I love you!) And he pronounced them in Italian.
Unlike the death of St. John Paul II in 2005, the death of the pope emeritus was not announced in St. Peter’s Square nor was there a peal of bells. Confirmation of his death was reported by the director of the Vatican Press Office, Matteo Bruni.
Bruni told reporters that “following the wishes of the pope emeritus, the funeral will be held under the sign of simplicity,” stressing that it will be a “solemn but sober funeral.”
“The express request on the part of the emeritus pope is that everything be simple, both with regard to the funeral as well as the other celebrations and gestures during this time of pain,” he added.