Pope Benedict XVI's death at 95, announced by the Vatican, has raised questions about which papal funeral traditions may apply to an ex-pope.
But what shape the ceremonies will take for Benedict remains unclear. Will he lie in state wearing red pontifical vestments? Will a traditional nine-day mourning period, the novemdiales, be observed after his burial? The Holy See press office, announcing that Benedict passed away at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery within Vatican City, said only that further information would be provided soon.
Will this be as elaborate an affair, with world leaders invited? For John Paul II, the exequial Mass lasted three hours and was at the time the largest attended funeral in history.“Rites and ceremonies after the death of a reigning pope are clear and already well elaborated,” said Ulrich Nersinger, who studies the Vatican and has worked for the papal ceremonial office. “The big problem is: What do you do if it’s a pope emeritus who dies? That’s a new experience.
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