Pope Benedict XVI who led the Catholic Church for 8 years passed away on Saturday at the age of 95. He is the first pope in six centuries to step down in 2013. His successor Pope Francis will lead the funeral on Thursday in Saint Peter’s Square and his mortal remains will be laid to rest in the tombs beneath Saint Peter’s Basilica.
Pope Benedict passed away at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery inside the Vatican Gardens and that was his home for the past decade. His body will be kept at the Basilica for three days during the daytime and people can pay their last respects to the Pope.
The funeral will be led by Pope Francis and will be solemn and simple. The Vatican will release details of the guest list which will include delegations from Italy and Pope Benedict’s native of Germany.
