Millions of Catholics around the world paid the last respect and offered a descend sendoff of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. The current holy see Pope Francis paid tribute to his in a funeral attended by tens of thousands of mourners at St. Peter’s Square in Rome where his coffin was placed in its final resting place in the grottos of St Peter’s Basilica
Several farewell masses were organized in different catholic churches in Uganda including a requiem mass led by Fr Bruno Bisangwa at Mpala Catholic Parish while Bishop John Baptist Odama led the same in St Joseph’s Cathedral Gulu, he advised Christians to remain strong in faith and let themselves not be confused.
In Rubaga Cathedral Kampala, Papal Nuncio to Uganda Archbishop Luigi Bianco animated farewell mass which was attended by hundreds of mourners including the Bishop Anthony Zziwa, the chairperson of Episcopal conference, Archbishops Augustine Kasujja, Paul Ssemogerere, the renown papa knights & dames, leader of opposition in parliament, prime minister of Buganda Kingdom Peter Mayiga, clergy amongst others.
Silence hovered over the entire cathedral as mass went on as people meditated on last living memories of the fallen Pope irrespective of their political divides.
On 31 December 2022, at 09:34 Central European Time, Pope Benedict XVI died at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in Vatican City at the age of 95. He had been pope emeritus since his resignation as the leader of the Catholic Church in 2013 due to ill health.
Joseph Ratzinger, the birthname of Benedict XVI was buried in three coffins, following the tradition carried out by his predecessors, “More than a cardinal, less than for a pope in office.” Quoted one of the Vatican sources. The body of a deceased Pope was fitted in three coffins that all fit inside one another made of wood, zinc and wood respectively. The first layer is a coffin made of cypress wood. Here, the coins of his pontificate will be introduced, as well as the pallium and a text that summarizes his work as Pope.
The attendance compared with an estimated 1.1 million people for the funeral of Benedict’s predecessor, Pope John Paul II. There were 500,000 people in St. Peter’s Square and the surrounding area in 2005, and another 600,000 who watched on video screens in other parts of the world. Photo credits Vatican News & Uganda Catholics online
Fare Thee Well Pope Benedict XVi
