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When preparing for the funeral of an acting pope, there is a well-defined protocol to follow. But with the death of Benedict XVI this Saturday, December 31, the Vatican is facing an unprecedented situation, since the pope emeritus resigned in 2013. Consequently, it will be the current pope, Francis, who will preside over Benedict XVI’s funeral. next January 5th.
After the death of a pope, the funeral and succession are carried out extremely carefully. This time, with the death of Benedict XVI, the Vatican ventures into terra incognita, since the pope whose funeral will take place on January 5, resigned almost ten years ago. The pope emeritus will be buried in a crypt in St. Peter’s Basilica.
The death of the pontiff normally triggers the hasty calling of a conclave during which the cardinals choose his successor. This scenario is excluded in the case of Benedict XVI, since Francis already succeeded him in 2013. In addition, he will be the one who will preside over the emeritus pope’s funeral.
Which protocol to choose? The Vatican authorities had already been working on it for several days, after the sudden worsening of Joseph Ratzinger’s health. But his reflections are being carried in the greatest secrecy.
A schedule usually set by the Cardinals
According to the Apostolic Constitution promulgated in 1996 by John Paul II, a pope must be buried between four and six days after his death. The schedule is normally decided by the cardinals who come from all over the world for the occasion. They also observe nine days of mourning for the deceased pope, a solemnity with a Latin name: “Novemdiales” (Novendiales in Spanish).
It is the cardinals – including the as-yet-unknown future pope – who are traditionally in charge due to the power vacuum created by the pontiff’s death, but that is not the case here, as Pope Francis is firmly at the helm of the Catholic Church.
In 2005, the body of John Paul II was laid to rest in Saint Peter’s Square in Rome at a solemn funeral attended by numerous heads of state, government and royalty. The ceremony was presided over by Cardinal Ratzinger, then all-powerful head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who would later be elected by his peers to occupy the throne of Saint Peter.
One million people attended the funeral of the charismatic Polish pope. As a former pope, Benedict XVI will also have a funeral in St. Peter’s Square. His body will be veiled starting Monday morning in the solemn surroundings of Saint Peter’s Basilica so that the faithful can pay their respects to him.
Although his popularity never matched that of John Paul II, the German pope, head of the Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013, is a former head of state and as such his funeral is expected to draw a crowd of high dignitaries and faithful. .
A ceremony presided over by Pope Francis
His official biographer, the German journalist Peter Seewald, revealed in 2020 that the emeritus pope wanted to be buried in the tomb of John Paul II, in the crypt of Saint Peter. This tomb has been empty since John Paul II’s coffin was transferred to a side chapel for his beatification in 2011.
According to Monsignor Claudio Magnoli, a Vatican expert on liturgy, interviewed a few days ago by the AFP press agency, “the rite provided for the funerals of the popes will be respected, since Ratzinger was pope.” Magnoli added that “the essential difference” resides in his being presided over by an incumbent pope “whereas until now this role has been attributed to the dean of cardinals or to another cardinal.”
When a pope dies, his pontifical ring, a ring made especially for each new pope and previously used as a seal for documents, is also destroyed. In the case of Benedict XVI, the ring was only crossed out with an “X” on the papal coat of arms after his resignation, so that it could no longer be worn.
This article was translated from its original in French
