JANUARY 13, 2023
mississippicatholic.com
Pope Benedict XVI
April 16, 1927 – December 31, 2022
Pope Benedict XVI poses in Alpeggio Pileo near his summer residence in Les Combes, at the Valle d'Aosta in northern Italy, July 14, 2005. Pope Benedict died Dec. 31, 2022, at the age of 95 in his residence at the Vatican. (CNS photo/Reuters/Vatican Pool)
At funeral, pope remembers Benedict's 'wisdom, tenderness, devotion' BY CAROL GLATZ
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Benedict XVI "spread and testified to" the Gos-
another 400 bishops and 3,700 priests concelebrated. The vestments and stoles were red in keeping with the color of mourning for deceased popes. Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, who turns 91 Jan. 13, was allowed to leave China to attend the funeral of Pope Benedict, who had made him a cardinal in 2006. The retired cardinal was arrested in May and fined in November together with five others on charges of failing to properly register a now-defunct fund to help anti-government protesters. More than 1,000 journalists, photographers and camera operators from around the world were accredited to cover the funeral in St. Peter's Square. An estimated 50,000 people filled the square for the Mass, and a number of visitors told Catholic News Service that banners and flags were being confiscated by security upon entrance. Of the few flags and banners that did make it past security was a white cloth with "Santo Subito" ("Sainthood Now") written in red and
pel his entire life, Pope Francis told tens of thousands of people gathered Jan. 5 for his predecessor's funeral Mass. "Like the women at the tomb, we too have come with the fragrance of gratitude and the balm of hope, in order to show him once more the love that is undying. We want to do this with the same wisdom, tenderness and devotion that he bestowed upon us over the years," Pope Francis said in his homily. The Mass in St. Peter's Square was the first time in more than 200 years that a pope celebrated the funeral of his predecessor. Pope Pius VII had celebrated the funeral of Pius VI in 1802 when his remains were returned to Rome after he died in exile in France in 1799. Pope Benedict, who had retired in 2013, had requested his funeral be simple; the only heads of state invited to lead delegations were those of Italy and his native Germany. However, many dignitaries – including Queen Sofia INSIDE THIS WEEK of Spain and King Philippe of Belgium – and presidents and government ministers representing more than a dozen nations were in attendance, as were most of the ambassadors to the Holy See. Members of the College of Cardinals sat on one side of the casket, while, on the other side, sat special guests, including the late pope's closest collaborators and representatives of the Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant and U.S. evangelical communities. Jewish and Muslim organizations also sent delegations. Animal lover pope Pope Francis presided over the Mass and Cardinal Pope Benedict XVI was Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, "cat person" was the main celebrant at the altar. Some 120 cardinals,
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Diocese Annual Report Report from the diocese in the center of this edition
Youth 18 Photos from around the diocese