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VATICAN CITY — Benedict XVI broke with tradition when he became the first pope in six centuries to abdicate. His death at 95, announced by the Vatican on Saturday, has raised questions about which papal funeral traditions may apply to an ex-pope.
For sure some customs aren’t relevant. There’s no need to destroy the Fisherman’s Ring that doubles as a papal seal — his customized ring was already slashed to make it unusable when he stepped down in 2013. And the mourning period won’t be followed by the drama of a conclave to select his successor. That’s already happened, too.
But what shape the ceremonies will take for Benedict remains unclear. Will he lie in state wearing red pontifical vestments? Will a traditional nine-day mourning period, the novemdiales, be observed after his burial? The Vatican hasn’t yet said. The Holy See press office, announcing that Pope Benedict passed away at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican, said further information would be provided soon.
Church watchers, on the lookout after Pope Francis said the former pope’s health had declined, expect to preside over the funeral itself, whereas that responsibility traditionally falls to the dean of the College of Cardinals. A sitting pope celebrating Mass for his predecessor would mark a historic moment for the church. Though it was Benedict, then known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who led the funeral Mass for his predecessor, Pope John Paul II.
Will this be as elaborate an affair, with world leaders invited? For John Paul II, the exequial Mass lasted three hours and was at the time the largest attended funeral in history.
“Rites and ceremonies after the death of a reigning pope are clear and already well elaborated,” said Ulrich Nersinger, who studies the Vatican and has worked for the papal ceremonial office. “The big problem is: What do you do if it’s a pope emeritus who dies? That’s a new experience.”
Nersinger suggested that some direction may come from Benedict’s last will and testament, but much will also depend on the decisions of Francis.
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Stefano Pitrelli
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