Rituals for Benedict's passing could be template for future ex popes - Reuters

VATICAN CITY, Dec 30 (Reuters) - When Pope Gregory XII, the past pope to resign earlier Benedict, died successful 1417, the satellite was not watching.

Gregory had stepped down 2 years earlier successful 1415 and spent his remaining days successful virtual obscurity hundreds of miles from Rome. He was softly buried successful Recanati, a municipality adjacent the bluish Adriatic coast.

It volition beryllium vastly antithetic with the passing of ailing 95-year-old Benedict.

The Vatican has painstakingly elaborate rituals for what happens aft a reigning pope dies but nary publically known ones for a erstwhile pope. It volition beryllium astatine slightest partially scripting caller protocols. They could beryllium a template for different popes who take to resign alternatively of ruling for life, including Pope Francis himself someday, Vatican sources say.

Those for a reigning pope see a 30-page constitution called "Universi Dominici Gregis," Latin for "The Shepherd of the Lord's Whole Flock," and "Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis," (Funeral Rites for a Roman Pontiff) a missal of much than 400 pages that includes liturgy, music, and prayers.

Those rules accidental a pope's burial should instrumentality spot betwixt 4 and six days aft his decease arsenic portion of a nine-day play of mourning known arsenic the Novendiale.

Vatican officials, who spoke connected the information of anonymity due to the fact that they were not authorised to sermon specified matters, said the publication for Benedict's passing would beryllium connected 2 cardinal elements: If Benedict himself near immoderate instructions and decisions that volition beryllium taken by Pope Francis.

SOLEMN FAREWELL

Francis has often praised his predecessor arsenic a large pope who had the courageousness to resign, truthful helium would astir apt similar to springiness Benedict the astir solemn ceremonial farewell arsenic possible, possibly adjacent the full works, 1 Vatican authoritative said.

The past pope to die, John Paul II, was buried connected April 8, 2005, six days aft helium died. His assemblage archetypal laid successful authorities successful the frescoed Clementine Hall for Vatican unit and past was moved to St. Peter's Basilica for viewing by the public.

Millions of radical queued up for hours to spot him, successful possibly the biggest lawsuit successful Vatican history, and monarchs and presidents attended his funeral.

He was archetypal buried successful crypts nether St. Peter's Basilica and moved successful 2011 to a chapel connected the main level of the largest religion successful Christendom.

Many radical would privation to wage their respects to Benedict, who succeeded John Paul successful 2005 an resigned successful 2013, truthful a play of lying successful authorities would beryllium likely, the sources said.

In 2020, Benedict's authorised biographer, Peter Seewald, was quoted arsenic telling Bavarian paper Passauer Neue Presse that the emeritus pope had prepared a spiritual testament stating that helium wanted to beryllium buried successful the aforesaid crypt wherever John Paul II was primitively laid to rest.

Benedict, arsenic Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, presided astatine John Paul's ceremonial successful 2005 successful St. Peter's Square and Francis is expected to preside astatine Benedict's.

After the decease of a reigning pope, the idiosyncratic successful complaint of mean affairs astatine the Vatican until the predetermination of a caller pope is the camerlengo, oregon chamberlain.

The presumption is presently held by Irish-American Cardinal Kevin Farrell but due to the fact that the Church has a pope and determination volition beryllium nary conclave to elite another, Farrell would person nary role.

Most of the work, including the scripting of an unprecedented lawsuit successful Vatican history, volition autumn to Monsignor Diego Ravelli, the papal maestro of ceremonies.

Reporting by Philip Pullella Editing by Tomasz Janowski

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