Benedict laid to rest at Vatican grotto after funeral
Baku, January 5, AZERTAC
Benedict XVI, the first pope to resign in six centuries, was buried in a tomb in the Vatican grotto on Thursday following a funeral service at St. Peter's Basilica, according to Anadolu Agency.
About 50,000 mourners crowded into St. Peter's Square to witness the rare funeral of a deceased pontiff presided over by a living one, Pope Francis, Benedict’s successor.
The crowd was chanting as well as holding banners saying Santo Subito which means Sainthood Now, as Benedict’s coffin was carried to the basilica.
The former pontiff died age 95 on Dec. 31 at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery.
Hundreds of thousands who wanted to bid a final farewell, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella, paid their respects to the former pontiff earlier this week during his lying-in-state in St. Peter’s Basilica, in the Vatican microstate surrounded by Rome.
Pope Benedict's health had worsened due to his advancing age, according to the Vatican.
In 2013, Pope Benedict XVI made an almost unprecedented decision to resign from his position, citing his advanced age.
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