The customs surrounding the death of the pope are recorded in Funeral Rites of a Roman Pope, a document of more than 400 pages regarding ceremonies, music and prayers, among other things. How many of those rules will also be applied in the case of Benedict, who has stepped down as pope, will probably depend on his own wishes and the decisions of his successor Francis.
For example, it is unknown whether Benedict was hit on the head three times with a silver hammer. Normally, the camerlengo of the Roman Catholic Church, the pope’s deputy and most important official within the Vatican following his death, performs that ritual while pronouncing the pope’s baptismal name. In this way he makes sure that the Holy Father is actually dead.
Solemn, but sober funeral
What is different this time anyway is that the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica are not rung to announce Benedict’s death. Normally, the pope’s private chambers are locked until a successor is chosen, and cardinals from all over the world come to Rome to mourn and choose a successor from among themselves. That is not necessary this time.
According to a Vatican spokesman, the funeral will be “solemn, but austere” on Thursday at the request of Benedict himself. Pope Francis will officiate. Afterwards, Benedict is interred according to his own wishes in the crypt under St. Peter’s, like many of his predecessors.
It is still unclear whether he will receive three boxes that fit together, just like those predecessors. The Vatican has also not released anything regarding the traditional nine-day mourning period.
Only official delegations from Italy and Germany
Italian security services expect around 60,000 people to attend on Thursday. That is considerably less than the 300,000 at the funeral of Benedict’s predecessor John Paul II in 2005 – a ceremony that Benedict XVI himself presided over as Dean of the College of Cardinals at the time.
There are probably also considerably fewer dignitaries among those present than in 2005, when heads of state and government from more than 100 countries made an appearance. Because Benedict is no longer head of state since his resignation, the Vatican has only invited Italy and Germany (his country of birth) to send a delegation. Representatives from other countries are welcome on a personal basis.
Benedict’s funeral will likely set a blueprint for future ceremonies for abdicated popes. Pope Francis has called for clear rules regarding dealing with a resigned pope. He himself has emphatically left open the possibility that he will also resign his office at some point.
