In photos: Pope Francis leads the funeral for Benedict XVI
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Pope Francis attends the funeral mass of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on Jan. 5, 2023. Photo: Marco Ravagli/Future Publishing via Getty Images
Thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square Thursday to mourn the loss of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as Pope Francis presided over the funeral proceedings.
The big picture: Benedict became the first pope in six centuries to resign the post atop the Catholic Church. His decision to step down in 2013 marked the start of an unprecedented period with a current and former pope living at the same time, the Associated Press reports.
- Benedict was the oldest pope in history when he passed away on Dec. 31 at 95. The former pope had become "very sick," and his condition had worsened "due to advanced age," Pope Francis said.
Details: Francis opened the funeral proceedings with a prayer and ended it by blessing Benedict's casket, AP reports. Thousands of faithful, including clergy and heads of state, attended the service to commemorate Benedict.
More from Axios:
Pope Francis calls for renewed commitments to help poor and homeless
Pope Francis signed resignation note in 2013 in case of health problems
