Pope Francis presided over the funeral of his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, before thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square in Rome on Thursday.
Various personalities such as Queen Emeritus Sofía of Spain, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish President Andrzej Duda, among others, were present at the ceremony.
In his homily, Pope Francis highlighted the work of the German Benedict XVI at the head of the Church since 2005, replacing John Paul II, until 2013 when he resigned.
“Benedict, faithful friend of the Bridegroom, may your joy be perfect when you hear his voice definitively and forever,” the Pope said.
It was the first time that a high priest had resigned from office in more than 600 years.
Benedict XVI, whose secular name before his election was Joseph Ratzinger, was also a prominent theologian and the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith during the papacy of John Paul II.
Thousands of people came to Saint Peter’s Square to bid farewell to the pope emeritus and some even carried banners calling for his immediate canonization.
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