Pope Francis, his successor is the first pope to preside over the funeral of his predecessor Benedict XVI at the Vatican.
Benedict XVI, the theologian who became the first pope to resign in nearly six centuries, is being buried on Thursday after a funeral on the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica presided over by Pope Francis.
Pope Francis, his successor is the first pope to preside over the funeral of his predecessor Benedict XVI at the Vatican, an unprecedented event in modern times expected to draw tens of thousands of people, New York Times reports.
Benedict, born Joseph Ratzinger, died on Saturday aged 95, bringing an end to an unprecedented situation of having two "men in white" -- he and Francis -- living in the Vatican.
The service, with a sitting pope presiding over his predecessor’s funeral, marks the end of an unusual arrangement. For years, two popes — one emeritus, one in power; one liberal, one conservative — have coexisted on the Vatican grounds.
By personally presiding over the funeral, Francis is honouring his predecessor, who died last Saturday at age 95, but striking a delicate political balance.
Benedict’s funeral was downgraded from a full-on papal affair, upsetting some of his supporters, who have often sought to undercut Francis.