worthy of note, the homily we just heard contained a number of citations directly from pope benedi benedict from the christmas mass homily he gave in 2006 and the whome home millihe gave for the beginning of his pontificate in 2005 .

>> we now move to the prayer of the faithful. >> translator: brothers and sisters, let us pray to god our father for his forgiveness and rebirth to the living hope for the resurrection of jesus to the dead. the response is let us pray to the lord. ♪

>> translator: we pray in german. the pope emeritus benedict who has fallen asleep in the lord, may the eternal shepherd receive him into his kingdom of light and peace. ♪ ♪ >> translator: we pray in french. for our holy father pope francis and for all the pastors of the church, may they proclaim fearlessly in word and deed ch christ's victory over evil and death. ♪ 6 ♪

>> translator: we pray in arabic. for our leaders of nations and international organizations, may they strive to promote justice and peace with wisdom and foresight. ♪ ♪ >> translator: we pray in portuguese. for our brothers and sisters in need, may god's love open our hearts to compassion and concern for the poor and for the least of our brothers and sisters. ♪ ♪

>> translator: and we pray in italian. for us gathered to celebrate the defeat of death by the triumph of the lord jesus, may it be for us a leven of hope as we await the coming of the kingdom. ♪ ♪ >> translator: god, our father, lover of life, hear the prayers we raise to you with faith in the risen lord for pope emeritus benedict and for the needs of the church and of our world grant us shared worship with you in the heavenlier rus sue lem where sorrow and tears will be no more through christ our lord. >> and we now transition to the

l liturgy of the eucharist. the choir will sing. and we reflect on the words pope francis said yesterday. pope benedict's acute thought was not self-referential but ee clees yal because he always wanted to accompany us in our encounter with jesus. jesus crucified and risen was the destination to which pope benedict led us taking us by the hand. may he help us rediscover in christ the joy of believing and the hope of living. ♪ ♪

cnn is covering all angles of today's events. vatican correspondent delia gallagher is in st. peter's square where the funeral is

taking place. >> and john allen. >> delia, let's just start with you. we've been hearing prayers being recited in italian, latin, arabic, portuguese, spanish. what will be the impact of today on the international catholic community? >> reporter: well, look, this is the always way with masses from the vatican because, of course, it's a recognition these masses are broadcast throughout the world and that catholics are from different countries throughout the world so there are always prayers and readings in different languages. in the homily when pope francis spoke a few minutes ago, you'll notice the homily has some real rules to it. it needs to refer to the readings at mass. that's why we didn't hear him necessarily giving a eulogy for pope benedict. it was a reflection on the

scriptures but in homage there were excerpts from pope benedict's own reflections from some of the scriptural readings. for pope benedict, the liturgy, the mass was a central part of his work, of catholicism. it strikes me that this mass today we have, yes, a pope who is very conservative being buried, a pope who is more progressive in pope francis, but it really does represent the catholic church under this one umbrella. that's what it's all about. you can have the conservative and the progressive sides, but they stay unified. they stay together. that's what's been happening. the pontificate here from the vatican trying to keep all of those elements under the same umbrella and with pope benedict's death, that will be foremost in pope francis's mind going forward.

bianca. >> fred, in terms of what you're seeing and feeling from the atmosphere there, how would you describe it? because we talked about how, you know, this is not a full papal funeral. they've had to, you know, look at what benedict wanted here but also to try to re-event the occasion because it's so unprecedented with a sitting pope overseeing the funeral of a former pope. >> reporter: if we look at the funeral we compare it to the funeral of john paul ii it is in almost all respects a papal funeral. it is being held as if this were a sitting pope obviously with some of the differences in the fact he was no longer pope anymore and you do have pope francis, the actual sitting pope presiding over the ceremony there today. i think the big difference that you have right now is the fact that it's a smaller event, if you will, than when john paul ii was laid to rest. i have looked at some of the numbers just a couple of minutes ago of 2005 when around 1.1

million people were gathering around st. pete terse square. obviously you had several hundred thousand on st. pete terse square itself and also in the surrounding areas. that was also jam packed as well. certainly a much smaller event. if you look at as you put very correctly, max, the amounts of heads of state and heads of government looking at the united states and the envoy sending a delegation from the united states but also some other countries as well, that certainly is very much in line with what pope benedict xvi wanted where he said he wanted a more humble ceremony, smaller ceremony. we are talking about the catholic church here and we can see some of this on our screens now, the gigantic st. pete terse square from the big pomp that is always part of these ceremonies. a real humble ceremony is something that's almost impossible in an organization

that is as large and world spanning as the catholic church is, but it certainly is different in many ways than the ceremony for pope john paul ii than some other popes in the past as well in that it is somewhat a more humble affair. very much fitting with what pope benedict wanted and also with the character pope benedict was. i think john allen was referring to it a little while ago, you know, saying he was a very humble figure. he was someone very much down to earth. he really put the p apac y and the pontificate above itself. he said it was more important than the one single person. he said he never wanted to become pope, that he was going to fill the papacy as best as he could when he did become pope but certainly definitely someone who put the catholic church above all and who really saw himself as someone who said the

doctrine of the church, someone who delved for hours and days into the libraries of the vatican looking at scriptures, looking at the books down there as well. who saw himself as a theologian above all and definitely not someone who was as outgoing as, for instance, john paul ii was wooing the masses and an icon for not just catholics but many people around the world. pope benedict a bit more subdued in his ways. the funeral we're seeing, the service we're seeing right now very fitting for who pope benedict was, the kind of character pope benedict was and certainly also definitely the way that he would have wanted the ceremony to take place. i think some of the words we heard from pope francis very important, not just in the homily just now but what we've heard from pope francis over the

past several days in the run up to this where he acknowledged pope benedict was not doing very well. he called for prayers for pope benedict in the final days of the year of 2022. finding nothing but kind words since then at all the times that we've seen pope francis in public. we do see while there might have been some frictions in the wings of the catholic church and more conservative, trying to put pope benedict out there, that these two popes, the pope and the pope emeritus definitely were pretty much in sync in the things they did. certainly one of the things pope francis did say that he praised pope benedict after he passed away for the way he had supported pope francis over the past several years, that pope francis could come to him for advice and that he had also taken a step back to allow pope francis to unfold his own papacy and pontificate as well, max.

>> john, we've discussed elements of pope benedict's character. i'd like to do that through the prism of his decision to resign, which must have been a difficult one. what did that say about him and his approach to the church? >> reporter: well, bianca, i think what it said first and foremost is that pope benedict believed that the church, the pa p papacy was bigger than any one person. the faith of the world did not rest exclusively on his shoulders. he concluded given his age and his energy levels, his increasing frailty at the time he simply wasn't capable of carrying the burden of the office and it would be in the best interests of everyone for him to step aside. that was in stark contrast, max and bianca, to john paul ii who

allowed his increasing frail at t thisto play out in full public view until the very end. benedict by way of contrast decided that he wanted to spare the church that and make way for someone else. i was just thinking, max and bianca, this morning watching this mass play out, the neat irony or the contrast, the last time saintt. peter's square hosa papal funeral was in 2005. it was led by the man who had become pope benedict. we see the successor, pope francis, presiding over the funeral mass of his predecessor.

it is a looking glass moment for the vatican and very in keeping with perhaps one of the most humble men to occupy the theater. >> many thanks to all of you. we're now watching the beginning of the communion in the catholic funeral mass. the eucharist when the catholics believe that the bread and wine is being converted into the blood and body of christ. we're going to take a quick break from the formal pope's funeral. in a moment we'll speak with a progressive jesuit priest about the ceremony, how unprecedented it is, and pope benedict's service.

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♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ you're watching the funeral of pope benedict xvi taking place in st. peter's square. of course, named after saint peter an apostle of jesus who

catholics consider to be the very first. >> let's bring in father james martin from new york. he's the editor at large at american media, author of a jesuit guide. thank you for joining us. be our guide to what we're seeing now then with holy communion underway there in vatican city. >> i'm sorry, i didn't hear your question. >> so just describe -- this is the holy communion moment of the service. take us through the importance of that within this unprecedented event. >> sure. so there's essentially two parts of the mass. there is what's called the liturgy of the word which are the readings, the gospel. we had the homily from pope francis then comes the liturgy of the eucharist. it's the consecration of the body and blood of christ. that is distributed.

that's what you're seeing now. >> father james, we've discussed so far the poignancy of this funeral today. of course, any funeral is a solemn occasion, but to see a current pope presiding over the funeral of a pope emeritus, pope benedict xvi, is a hugely significant moment for catholics. so what is your personal reflection today? >> well, i think we have to remember that this is the burial of a christian. it's someone who devoted his entire life to the church. pope francis called him, i thought it was very beautiful, faithful friend of the bridegroom which may sound a little strange. what that means is jesus christ typically is seen as the groom for the church and so he's saying that francis was a friend of jesus for his whole life. we have this person who spent his entire life in service to the church as a priest, as a theologian. he was very active in the second

vatican council and working in the vatican, in the congregation for the doctrine of the faith, as pope and pope emeritus. when you look out and see all the people that knew him and the impact he had for decades on the catholic church. very profound moment for me and for so many catholics. >> is it as you would imagine the service would unfold? >> it is. you know, one of the most beautiful things about these masses is that this is essentially the same kind of mass that any catholic would have, right? obviously it's not in saint pe peter's square but the liturgy, the eucharist, the prayers, the final commendation. in death benedict is like all of us, like all catholics and the sacraments, this is a sacrament, funeral mass, is something that unites us all. it's another sign of humility that this is the same kind of mass that all of us would have.

>> given this is an incredibly rare situation, to have had two popes simultaneously, how did that, if at all, change the shape of the catholic church worldwide, having current pope, pope francis, associated with the more progressive wing of the catholic church and pope benedict xvi the more conservative side? >> well, that's a very good question. i think at times there were some people who coalesced around benedict, but benedict always made it clear that there was one pope. that pope francis was in charge. by the same token, pope francis was very sort of respectful towards benedict. one of the things that francis did regularly was that every time he creates new cardinals, named new cardinals, he would bring the cardinals, to pope

emeritus benedict's house. he relied on him a lot for wisdom and council. he said it was like having a grandfather around. i think pope benedict was a great asset to the papacy even after he resigned. >> father james martin, thank you so much. we're now going to pause and listen in to the holy communion. ♪ ♪

>> translator: the anthem being sung, let the perpetual light shine upon you forever for you are mercimerciful. ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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♪ ♪

pope francis presiding over the funeral of the former pope, benedict, there in saintt. pete square. holy communion taking place now involving everyone. the huge crowds gathered in the square. benedict died at the age of 95. he asked for a simple ceremony according to the vatican press office. we're really seeing that play out. a history professor at keene university, author of "when a

pope dies" from union, new jersey. this is something you'll be talking about in class, isn't it? this is something unprecedented. >> it is. people think history is dead. it isn't. it's certainly alive. i was struck in the homily by what pope francis did say or didn't say. as delia gallagher pointed out, we have homilies and sermons and our eulogies. sometimes in a catholic funeral the person presiding kind of merges the eulogy and the homily. that wasn't really done this time, although pope francis quoted benedict's own words from some of his own writings. the focus was on pastor, and i think that this speaks to the kind of the smaller papacy. the papacy is larger than any one person which has been a

theme of benedict's papacy and now francis's papacy. he spoke about the pastor and that is ultimately the job of the pope, to be the chief pastor. i think that jopope emeritus benedict xvi's legacy is as a teacher. i'm not a fan of cannonizing popes, right away, a saint right away as people were saying during the funeral of john paul ii, i do think eventually some consideration should be given to declaring him a doctor of the church. there are only 37 doctors of the church, four of them women, raised up and being pointed out as being particularly clear and strong in their explanation and communication of the elements of

the faith. >> christopher, the papacy has such a long, colorful, rich history. well over a millennium and a half with many characters and very interesting personalities. how do you think pope benedict will be remembered in that longitudinal analysis when the history books are written? >> right. there have been over 260 men who have been popes. there were several dozen ante popes as well. it is a colorful history. anyone watching cable tv, you have fodder for all sorts of that. sometimes it makes the game of thrones blush. i think benedict was very much in the line. sometimes i think he was the right pope for the wrong time. he was very much in line with those popes following the protestant and catholic reformation. talk about 1600s to about 1900s

when we had popes who presided, popes who were professors. this was very much a professor pope. he reminded me of another benedict, benedict xiv who lived in the 1700s who wrote the book on canonization. how do you examine candidates for canonization and many of those rules are still standing. >> in terms of, you know, the power of the church going forward, does it lie more in liberal happened now with a liberal pope there sitting, presiding over the service? >> no. i have to say the church is a church of -- at its best the church is a church of both and and not either/or. the church's social teaching on the political spectrum is far

left. there was a pope who said that health care was a universal human right and that was benedict, not francis who made that statement. there's much more continuity between francis and benedict. it's a question of emphasis. sometimes people say, well, there's a doctrinal theology and pastoral theology. obviously they go together but any one human being, in a classroom i will emphasize this and the same person teaching a medieval history may emphasize that, it's a question of emphasis and approach. i think what we are seeing is a smaller papacy. i think that's what's going to carry forward. certainly as francis himself has said, benedict, this tradition-bound, you know, man of the old world did something that no one has done in 600 years, immediately gives credibility to a papal

resignation and as francis says, makes it an institution. the conversation we have now is how can we do that a bit better than the post papacy of benedict xvi. >> christopher belito, thank you very much. let's listen in to pope francis. >> translator: may the god of our fathers in the holy spirit, lord and giver of life, deliver pope emeritus benedict from death, that he may sing god's praises in the heavenly jerusalem in the resurrection of his body on the last day. may the virgin mary, queen of the apostles intercede before the eternal father that he may reveal the face of jesus, his son, to pope emeritus benedict and to console the church as she awaits the lord's return .

♪ ♪ >> and as part of this and be every funeral service incense now will be offered reminding us that as baptized members of christ we share in his very own life as well as the blessing of water, a reminder of our ba baptism.

♪ ♪

>> translator: gracious father, we commend to your mercy pope emeritus benedict, successor peter, shepherd of the church, a

fearless preacher of your word and a faithful minister of the divine mysteries. welcome him, we pray, into your heavenly dwelling place and enjoy eternal glory with all your chosen ones. we give you thanks, lord, for all the blessings that in your goodness you bestowed upon him for the good of your people. grant us the comfort of faith and the strength of hope. father, source of life, through christ, the conquerer of death in the life giving spirit, all glory forever and ever, amen. ♪ ♪

♪ ♪

>> translator: may the angels lead you into paradise. may the martyrs come and welcome you and take you into the holy city, the new and eternal jerusalem. may choirs of angels welcome you and with lazarus who is no longer, may you have eternal rest. >> and as the mass concludes, the pal bearers approach the coffin of the pope emeritus ben benedict. they will bear his coffin into the basilica and then to his final resting place below the basilica in the vatican gratos .

♪ ♪ ♪ accompanying the body. at the head of the remains of

our holy father, the pope emeritus benedict xvi. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

>> the last chant here. our lady sang out on her visitation to her cousin elizabeth, a cantical used every evening fitting that our lady would have the fanl word here. >> and the bearers raise the coffin bearing the immortal remains of pope emeritus benedict xvi.

once again the bells tolling out. the body of the pope emeritus, as we mentioned at the beginning of the broadcast, will be brought into the basilica. there will be a private ceremony later on. for those of you watching on television saw and can see the cypress coffin that the holy father's remains are in. that will be sealed in a zinc coffin which will in turn be enclosed within a wooden case. the final coffin in oak. there's a quasi liturgical ceremony that goes on with that. at that point the body will be

taken to the grattos beneath the vatican basilica where there are a few more prayers for the final entombment of our father. he will be placed in the chapel where st. john paul ii, his predecessor, was buried and that is in accordance with benedict xvi's final wishes. our holy father, pope francis, having come down from the presider's chair is awaiting the coffin of his predecessor, the pope emeritus benedict xvi and is there to give a final blessing, say a few words placing his hand upon the coffin and bowing his head in prayer.

>> as we know, on several occasions pope francis has said that he used to visit benedict often. he has called him grandfather and on the most -- in a recent interview actually did not hesitate to call pope benedict a saint. we see here some of his own fellow countrymen who have come to bid their pope benedict farewell. and he called those meetings with pope emeritus benedict personal, fraternal and affectionate. final farewell between pope

francis and the pope who accompanied his pontificate in prayer . >> the body of benedict xvi being carried into st. peter's basilica where he'll finally be laid to rest. very poignant service. the fog lifting over the basilica as the service came to an end. let's go to delia gallagher who's there in st. peter's square. delia. >> reporter: so, max, we're seeing now the final moment that we will be able to see the coffin of benedict xvi just at the end of the mass. there was the dispersion of the baptismal water, the holy water and then the incense around the coffin. pope francis said the final

prayer. it goes back inside the basilica now where, again, accompanied by a ritual. it will be taken down into the crypt where other popes are buried. it will be placed in the same spot that john paul ii was before he was made a saint and brought inside the basilica. that will be the final resting place for the pope emeritus. that is a place people can come, visit, pay homage to. tourists come in and visit the tomb there. that is where pope benedict will lay. the so the end of an era in a certain sense. he was such a major intellectual figure, even outside of his papacy as joseph radzinger and who professor belito said, a movement to make him a father of a church, a title for someone

who has contributed in an intellectual way. i must say here, max. we saw several signs, one, make him a saint immediately. that brings us back with john paul ii, signs everywhere to make john paul ii a saint, which did eventually happen. i'm not sure if benedict would have wanted that. he was very self-effacing, wasn't interested in popes being saints. it is an outpouring for the faithful for their affection, for the person. the we've noticed all morning, we have much smaller crowds. john paul ii funeral was an entirely different pope, entirely different situation. he was ill for two months before he died so people had plenty of time to come and pay their respects. they were here with candles and all night vigils and the square and the entire city really

packed. quite a different feeling this morning farley because we're talking about a pope who's been retired, resigned for the last ten years and living in the vatican, 95 years old. very, very different personality from his predecessor as well as a different personality from pope francis, of course, whom we have to think about this morning as he begins his new moment in his pontificate. he's lived the last ten years with pope benedict in his background, and as much as that has been something that could help him, in the first years especially to find his feet, to be able to have somebody to talk to, by all accounts they did speak and there was a good rapport between them, at the same time pope benedict represented and for the conservative catholic became a more divisive pontificate because he was still around. so it will be interesting to see now how pope francis takes this

forward without pope benedict. max? >> delia in st. peter's square. thank you. and we'll be right back with more of our special coverage of the funeral of pope emeritus benedict xvi. do stay with us. my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis... the tightness, stinging... the pain. emerge tremfyant®. wiwith tremfya®, most people sw 90% clearer skin at 1616 weeks. the majority of people saw 90% clearer skin even at 5 y years. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. emerge tremfyant®. with tremfya®. ask your doctor about tremfya® today.

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