Pope Francis presides over Benedict’s funeral, speaks of friendship in historic moment

ROME and LONDON — Pope Francis on Thursday paid homage to his friend and retired predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, by presiding over his funeral mass at the Vatican, an unprecedented event in the modern Catholic Church.

Benedict, who died on Saturday at the age of 95, stunned worshipers in 2013 when he became the first pope to resign in more than 600 years. His funeral marked the first time a supreme pontiff presided over the previous pope’s funeral in modern times, according to church scholars.

Thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday morning. The funeral procession began before the last of the morning fog had burned off the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, where Benedict had lied in state. The mass began a 9:30 a.m. local time, moments after Benedict’s coffin had been carried into the square. Francis arrived in a wheelchair.

Francis opened his homily with Jesus’ last words, which were spoken on the cross, saying, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Francis spoke in Italian of the spirit of life that “quietly inspires us,” adding that the spirit “wishes to shape the heart of every pastor, until it is attuned to the heart of Christ Jesus.”

“Like the Master, a shepherd bears the burden of interceding and the strain of anointing his people, especially in situations where goodness must struggle to prevail and the dignity of our brothers and sisters is threatened,” he said.

He also spoke of friendship, likening it to a sustaining force amid a “shipwreck of the present life,” as Saint Gregory the Great had written in Pastoral Rule, a guide for leaders.

Francis closed his eulogy by saying, “Benedict, faithful friend of the Bridegroom, may your joy be complete as you hear his voice, now and forever!”

The ceremony had been planned to be “roughly similar” to those held for pontiffs who’ve died while still leading the church, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni told reporters on Wednesday.