The Pope emeritus Benedict XVI He died this Saturday at the age of 95. in the Mater Ecclesiae monastery, where he lived since his historic resignation from the pontificate in 2013. Our correspondent in Rome, Irene Savio, explains to us from the Vatican how in this way “a historic stage for the Catholic Church ends” in which for the first time they have lived together a pope in exercise of his functions and a pope emeritus. Despite the ailments of the late Benedict XVI’s successor and that now the even more unusual situation of three living pontiffs coinciding would no longer happen, “an early resignation of Pope Francis is not likely,” says Savio.
The funeral of Benedict XVI, the first pope to resign after six centuries of previous similar precedent, will be held on Thursday, January 5 in the Plaza de San Pedro and it will be officiated by his successor, the Pope Francisco. From Monday, his mortal remains will be exposed in the basilica to receive “the last farewell” of his faithful, added the spokesman for the Holy See, Matteo Bruni.