Pope Francis Shares Emotional Message After Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Dies in New Year

The death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has overshadowed the Vatican's New Year celebrations as the entire papal state is in mourning as 2023 arrives. Pope Francis then took to social media to ask the world to pray for his predecessor.

The former pope's health has been declining for some time, but the Vatican has not revealed the exact cause of his death.

The Vatican noted that his body will be placed in St Peter's Basilica from January 2 for "the greeting of the faithful."

His funeral is scheduled for January 5, with Pope Francis leading the ceremony. Benedict was the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415. He did so because of his ailing health.

The bells tolled at the Munich Cathedral when the Vatican announced his death. Before becoming a pope, he was previously the Archbishop of Munich, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger.

When Pope John Paul II died, he was elected as the next pope and was considered the oldest pope to ever be elected by the College of Cardinals.

Pope Francis Visited Pope Benedict XVI at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery After His Death

The director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, revealed that a few minutes after 9:34 a.m., the hour of Pope Benedict XVI's death, Pope Francis visited his predecessor at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery.

The pope went to the monastery immediately after being informed by the special secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein.

Vatican News has reported that the pope's body is now lying in repose at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery's chapel "next to a large crucifix, a nativity scene, and a Christmas tree."

For now, only visits by cardinals and those who have close connections with the man who was the Archbishop of Rome and Successor of Saint Peter are allowed.

There will be a private rite Tuesday where they will transfer Pope Benedict XVI's body to St Peter's Basilica to be venerated by the faithful.

During his New Year's Day Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis asked for the Virgin Mary's intercession for the former pope's soul. He also asked all those gathered to say a prayer for him.

With this, the around 40,000 people in attendance erupted in applause, some of them even bearing banners with the late pope's name and German flags as Pope Benedict used to be the top Church official in the country.

Pope Benedict XVI Used to Quietly Stop Church Sexual Abuse

While blamed and criticized for his lack of action in stopping Catholic priests from abusing minors, Pope Benedict XVI was actually quite active in preventing them privately.

According to the Associated Press, the late pope did more than his predecessors to stopping clergy sexual abuse. While a conservative, Benedict pushed through revolutionary changes to church law to make it easier to defrock predator priests.

He was also known for firing hundreds of them. Among his most notable actions was taking action against a serial pedophile priest who was once part of the late Saint John Paul II's inner circle.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: First Photos of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Lying in State at Mater Ecclesiae Monastery - From ROME REPORTS