Death of former Pope Benedict overshadows New Year at Vatican - Reuters

VATICAN CITY, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Pope Francis marked the Roman Catholic Church's accepted World Day of Peace connected Sunday but the commencement of the caller twelvemonth astatine the Vatican was overshadowed by the decease of his predecessor, Benedict.

Francis presided astatine a Mass successful St. Peter's Basilica arsenic the assemblage of Benedict, who died connected Saturday astatine the property of 95, was being prepared for 3 days of nationalist viewing successful the aforesaid religion starting Monday.

On Sunday the Vatican released the archetypal images of the precocious Benedict, showing him dressed successful reddish and golden liturgical vestments and laying successful authorities successful the chapel of the monastery wherever helium died.

His assemblage volition beryllium moved privately to the basilica, dissimilar what followed the decease successful 2005 of Pope John Paul, whose assemblage was moved successful a solemn outdoor procession that was televised unrecorded astir the world.

In accordance with Benedict's wishes, his funeral connected Thursday volition beryllium elemental and solemn. It volition beryllium the archetypal clip successful galore centuries that a sitting pope volition preside astatine the ceremonial of his predecessor. Benedict, who stepped down successful 2013, had been the archetypal pontiff successful 600 years to resign.

Jan. 1 is besides the feast of the Mother of God and successful his homily, Francis asked the Madonna to travel "our beloved" Pope Emeritus Benedict "on his transition from this satellite to God".

Benedict was besides remembered successful 1 of the prayers astatine the Mass.

In his homily, Francis urged his listeners to enactment actively for peace, and not "waste clip glued to a keyboard successful beforehand of a machine screen" but to "dirty our hands and to bash immoderate good".

Later astatine his Sunday blessing successful St. Peter's Square, Francis made different entreaty for an extremity to the struggle successful Ukraine, saying it was "intolerable contrast" with the taxable of the day.

PRAISE, BUT ALSO CRITICISM FOR BENEDICT

On Saturday nighttime the Vatican released Benedict's two-page "spiritual testimony" written successful 2006, a twelvemonth aft his predetermination arsenic pope. There was nary mentation wherefore Benedict did not update it arsenic helium became older and much frail.

In it, helium asked successful a general, spiritual way, that God would invited him to interior beingness "despite each my sins and insufficiencies".

Francis connected Saturday called Benedict a noble, benignant antheral who was a gift to the Church and the world.

While tributes to the erstwhile pope continued to beryllium made by world leaders, and blimpish members of the faithful, others were highly captious of his pontificate.

Some recalled the terrible subject helium meted retired to progressive theologians, peculiarly successful Latin America, erstwhile helium was caput of the Vatican's doctrinal section nether Pope John Paul II. Those actions prompted wide Catholics to dub past Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger "God's Rottweiler".

And portion immoderate person credited Benedict with taking important steps to formalise the Vatican's effect to clergy intersexual abuse, victims groups accused him of protecting the instauration astatine each costs.

"In our view, the decease of Pope Benedict XVI is simply a reminder that, overmuch similar John Paul II, Benedict was much acrophobic astir the Church’s deteriorating representation and fiscal travel to the hierarchy versus grasping the conception of existent apologies followed by existent amends to victims of abuse," the anti-abuse radical SNAP said.

Like galore Vatican officials who worked with Benedict, Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet said helium believed the German pontiff had near down "a large legacy" arsenic a antheral of God and a antheral of culture.

"I judge this is besides a task for the future, to profoundly rethink the Christian religion successful the look of the challenges of our time," Ouellet told Reuters.

Reporting by Philip Pullella Editing by Crispian Balmer and Frances Kerry

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