Rome was cold and foggy in the early morning of Pope Benedict XVI’s funeral. More and more believers from all over the world trickled in slowly and orderly. Official delegations from Italy and Germany, home of the pope emeritus, as well as kings, nobles and clergy from several countries flocked to St. Peter’s Square ahead of the funeral service, which is expected to be attended by 100,000 people. Now the funeral service has begun.
Suddenly, all heads turned in the press gallery: around 07:30 a fanfare suddenly sounded with a traditional march from Bavaria, the homeland of the late Joseph Ratzinger.
In addition to the music, many guests from Bavaria and Germany came to say goodbye to the emeritus pope. You see brotherhoods with big flags and colorful caps, nuns in black, priests in all skin colors.
If you showed up early enough you got a good seat
Worshipers who came to St. Peter’s Square around 7:30 am – two hours before the start of the funeral – told the “Krone” to wait 30 minutes. You could also get a chair.
You can watch the ceremony live here:
The influx of believers was very orderly on Thursday. The waiting times at the security check were usually limited. The security staff has been expanded enormously, 1000 police officers and 500 fire and civil protection volunteers are present.
At 8:45 a.m., the trial began with the first of three parts: the coffin was closed inside St. Peter’s Basilica and carried outside to St. Peter’s Square. The requiem started at 9:30 am. Austria is present at the funeral via former Federal President Heinz Fischer. Fischer was during the tenure of Pope Benedict XVI. Federal President and was also at his inauguration and on an official visit to the Vatican. Benedict’s official papal visit in 2007 also fell during Fischer’s tenure.
Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Salzburg Franz Lackner as President of the Episcopal Conference, Bishop of Graz Wilhelm Krautwaschl and Bishop of Eisenstadt Aegidius Zsifkovics will attend the funeral service as representatives of the Church in Austria.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
