The funeral of Benedict XVI will be held on January 5 in St. Peter's Basilica.

The death of Benedict XVI is as singular as his life and his resignation in 2013. There is no recent precedent for a case like his, in which two popes have lived together and the funeral of an emeritus pontiff must be activated.

The last papal resignation was that of Gregory XII in 1415, but his case is completely incomparable with that of Joseph Ratzinger and does not serve as a model.

For now, the Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, has announced that the funeral will be held on January 5, at 9:30 a.m., in St. Peter's Basilica and will be officiated by Pope Francis.

It will be a solemn funeral, as befits the position he held, but also sober to respect the will of Ratzinger, who asked for a simple farewell, Bruni said.

Besides,

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The ecclesiastical legacy of Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI, during an audience in the Vatican, on February 6, 2006. Photo: MM (EP) |

Video: EPV

The main novelty of the death of Benedict XVI is that it does not trigger a political process, that is, a conclave to elect a new Pope.

The conventional papal rite indicates that nine days of mourning must be observed.

But the last deceased pope, John Paul II, died on April 2, 2005 and was buried on April 8.

In other words, the rite was shortened by three days and it was precisely the then dean of the college of cardinals, Joseph Ratzinger, who officiated the funeral and was in charge of managing the vacant seat.

The main difference is that, in this case, there will be no process to choose the next pope.

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The life of Pope Benedict XVI, in pictures

Pope Francis is in charge of making the appropriate decisions on the protocol to be followed.

But various sources indicate that for years the liturgical novelties of the funeral have been prepared in the Vatican.

The key is to distinguish that it would not be a papal ceremony to use, but rather an emeritus pontiff.

In this case, it has been decided that the body be exposed for three days in the Basilica of Saint Peter.

It is not yet clear where he will be buried: it will depend on the will that Ratzinger has left written.

The normal thing, however, is that it happens in San Pedro, like most pontiffs.

The last pope who was not buried in the basilica, in fact, was Pius IX (he ruled from 1846 to 1878), since he asked to rest in the Verano Cemetery, next to the Basilica of San Lorenzo Outside the Walls (Rome).

Media in front of St. Peter's Basilica, this Saturday.GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE (REUTERS)

The resignation of Benedict XVI in 2013 opened up a legal and liturgical mystery that the Church will now resolve in a practical way.

In recent years there has been a great debate about whether it should be definitively regulated in order to put an end to all the doubts it generates.

Again, as when he stepped aside so that Francis was finally elected pope, it will be Ratzinger's death that will also mark the legal step of this transformation.

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