The Vatican has announced that the mortal remains of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI have been buried in a tomb in the grottoes under the main floor of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Benedict’s body was put into a space left after the Vatican moved the remains of his predecessor, John Paul II, to the main floor to reflect John Paul’s sainthood.
The brief announcement of the burial by the Vatican’s press office came about 90 minutes after the conclusion of Benedict’s funeral in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday, January 5, 2023.
Pope Francis presided over the service, which was attended by some 50,000 mourners.
Photos publicized by the Vatican showed the zinc coffin which was to contain the cypress one displayed to the faithful during the funeral.
Then the zinc coffin was placed into another wooden one before being put into the tomb
The wooden lid on the outermost coffin is adorned with a simple metal cross, the emblem of his nearly eight-year-long papacy and an inscription in Latin noting that he had lived 95 years, eight months and 15 days when he died on December 31, 2023.
It also records the date his papacy ended when he went into retirement, on February 28, 2013.
Benedict’s longtime secretary, German Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, imparted a blessing after the remains were placed into a niche on the floor on Thursday, January 5, 2023.
About 50,000 People Present at Benedict XVI’s Funeral Mass
According to the Vatican, approximately 50,000 people attended Benedict XVI’s funeral mass, after around 200,000 paid their respects during three days of public viewing.
Among those attending the funeral mass was Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen, who was given special court permission to attend the funeral.
Benedict’s close confidants were also in attendance, and the former pope’s longtime secretary, Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, bent down and kissed a book of the Gospels that was left open on the coffin before the ceremony began.
The requiem mass was also significant for what it lacked, that is, the feeling of uncertainty that would normally accompany the passing of a pope before a new one is elected.
With Pope Francis in place, Benedict’s death marked the end of an unusual decade in which a reigning pope lived alongside a retired one.
Benedict’s coffin was transported through the Basilica and transferred to the Vatican crypt for the burial, in the first tomb of John Paul II.
The tomb was vacated after John Paul II’s body and remains were moved to a chapel inside the Basilica after he became a saint.
As Benedict’s coffin was carried to St. Peter’s Basilica, many members of the crowd could be heard chanting “Santo Subito,” which is a call for the Pope Emeritus to become a saint immediately.
Tombs In Vatican Crypt Close To Remains Of The Catholic Church’s First Pope
The tombs in the Vatican crypt are close to the remains of the Catholic Church’s first pope, St. Peter the Apostle.
St. John Paul II’s tomb was in the crypt from the date of his funeral, April 8, 2005, until April 29, 2011, when his casket was moved to the upper part of St. Peter’s Basilica a few days before his beatification ceremony.
St. John XXIII was also previously buried in the same place, which is fewer than 100 feet from the tomb of St. Peter the Apostle, the Catholic Church’s first pope.
The area is on the north side of the central part of the Vatican crypt. On the wall above the spot, there is an image of the Virgin Mary and the child Jesus surrounded by angels.
The Vatican says that the public will be able to visit Benedict’s tomb, however not before next week, to allow for work to be completed.
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