SW News: Braving the chill, thousands of priests, religious and believers thronged St Peter’s Square on Thursday, January 5, to take part in the Requiem Mass of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and pray for the repose of his soul. The square looked like a sea of red with more than hundreds of cardinals, members of the Roman Curia, archbishops and bishops wearing red chasubles gathering for Mass.
An outdoor altar was set up on a special dais with a canopy in front of which was a platform for the casket containing the body of Benedict XVI. The sealed Cypress coffin bearing the remains of the former pontiff was carried by pallbearers and reverently placed on the platform after which the Book of Gospels was placed on it by Master of Pontifical Ceremonies Monsignor Diego Ravelli and Benedict XVI’s personal secretary Archbishop Georg Ganswein, who reverently kissed the coffin showing his love and fealty.
After the Rosary was recited in Latin for the repose of the soul of Benedict XVI and the Salve Regina hymn was intoned by the choir, the altar was prepared for Holy Mass. As the choir sang the Antiphon “Requiem aeternam dona ei Domine” (“Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord”), the cardinals, and other celebrants took their place by the side of the altar. They included the Major Archbishops and Patriarchs of the Oriental Churches. Among them were Cardinal Bechara Rai of the Maronite Church, Patriarch Youssef Absi of the Melkite Church, Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Younan of the Syriac Church, Cardinal George Alencherry of the Syro Malabar Church and Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako of the Chaldean Church to name a few.
Also present for the funeral were the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople’s representatives Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon and Metropolitan Polykarpos of Italy and delegates from the Eastern, Armenian, Coptic, Georgian, Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian and Rumanian Orthodox Churches. The Archbishop of Canterbury’s representative Archbishop Ian Ernst and representatives of the Methodist, Lutheran, World Wide Evangelical Churches, the Jewish community of Rome, Muslim community and Buddhists in the Italian capital were present.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella were present for the Funeral Mass along with the royalty of Spain and Belgium. Ministers and envoys from more than 100 nations also took part in the Mass to pay their respects to the former head of state of the Vatican.
Dean of the College of Cardinals Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re was the main celebrant. During the Liturgy of the Word, the First Reading was from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah while the Responsorial Psalm was Psalm 22. It was followed by the Second Reading from the First Letter of St Peter followed by the Gospel passage taken from the Gospel of St Luke chapter 23 verses 39 to 46.
After the Gospel, the Holy Father, who was vested in a red cope and stole, gave the homily. During the Prayer of the Faithful, there were supplications for Benedict XVI, for leaders of nations, for people in need and for Pope Francis.
During the Communion Rite, the choir intoned the Antiphon for Communion “Lux aeterna luceat ei Domine” (“Let eternal light shine on him O Lord”) followed by “De Profundis” (Psalm 129: “Out of the depths I cry unto Thee”). Then followed the intonation of “Sicut Servus” (Psalm 42: Like the deer that runs for running waters).
After the post-communion prayer was the final commendation and farewell by Pope Francis. He commended the soul of Benedict XVI to God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. The casket was then blessed with Holy Water by Cardinal Re as the choir sang “Credo quod Redemptor meus vivit” (“I know that my Redeemer lives”).
Pope Francis then recited a final prayer imploring God the Father to welcome Benedict XVI into his heavenly kingdom after which the choir sang “In Paradisum” (“May the angels lead you into paradise”). It was followed by the intonation of the “Magnificat”. After the hymn was sung, the pallbearers carried the casket into St Peter's Basilica as the cardinals went in procession before it. As the casket was being taken inside, Pope Francis briefly prayed before the coffin and blessed it.
The casket was also accompanied by Archbishop Ganswein and the staff of Mater Ecclesiae who had looked after the late pope emeritus in his final years. In the crypt of the Basilica, there was a private quasi-liturgical service after which the casket was enclosed in a lead coffin which was then placed in an oaken casket before it was placed in the first grave of Pope St John Paul II.