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St. Peter's Basilica in Rome: On February 28, 2013 Benedict VXI left.
the Vatican in a helicopter after his abdication.
Now he is to be buried under the basilica
Photo: Bernd Von Jutrczenka / picture alliance / dpa
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
will be buried on January 5th after the public funeral service on St. Peter's Square in the crypt below St. Peter's Basilica.
The Holy See confirmed this on Saturday.
The German had wished to be buried at the spot where Pope John Paul II first found his resting place after his death, before he was brought to a chapel in St. Peter's Basilica after his beatification.
Benedict XVI
died on Saturday at the age of 95
The Vatican also announced further details of the ceremony next Thursday: The requiem, which begins at 9.30 a.m., will be led by Pope Francis.
Believers can attend the celebration;
no tickets are required for the open-air event.
The city of Rome expects up to 60,000 people to attend the funeral service.
The prefect of the Italian capital, Bruno Frattasi, said on Saturday, according to the Ansa news agency, after a meeting of the security committee.
During the celebration in St. Peter's Square, a no-fly zone will be declared over the Vatican.
Laying out in St. Peter's Basilica
The Vatican only invited two official delegations from other countries to the funeral mass, namely from Benedict's home country Germany and from Italy.
As pope, Benedict was automatically bishop of Rome.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has already announced himself.
The Pope's body will remain in the former Mater Ecclesiae monastery in the Vatican Gardens, where Benedict has lived since his resignation in 2013, until Monday morning.
Then the remains are taken to St. Peter's Basilica.
From Monday at 9:00 a.m., believers can say goodbye to the Bavarian.
St. Peter's Basilica is open to visitors on Monday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Tuesday and Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Up to 35,000 people are expected every day on these days, said city prefect Frattasi.
hpi/dpa