Thus began a new week in which a retired pope – isolated for a decade until his death Saturday — became the center of the Catholic world one last time.
For all those who came to pay their respects, it was placed just in front of the high altar, under the imposing golden dome. Two Swiss Guards stood guard. During the first hours of public viewing – of the 34 in total leading up to her funeral on Thursday – there were nuns holding rosaries, people holding hands and pilgrims who had traveled hours to be there.
“A giant of faith,” said Andrea Ascani, 47, who had driven with her family from the Umbrian town of Assisi.
But it was also clear, watching Monday’s proceedings, that there is a profound difference between dying as a pope and dying as an ex-pope.
When John Paul II was in state, hotels in Rome were full and the wait to see the body threatened to get so long — approaching 24 hours, according to reports at the time — that authorities closed the line.
In Benedict’s case, the wait was an hour. Crowds around the basilica were larger than normal, but were contained near the main square. According to the Vatican, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., some 40,000 people dropped him off.
Above all, there was little overt emotion. Some people passing by were just tourists who wanted to see the basilica. Many held their phones aloft as they approached the catafalque. Security moved the line forward quickly – “Go ahead! Go ahead!” they told the crowds – making it difficult for anyone who wants an intimate moment.
Jean-Paul’s decline had gripped the Catholic faithful because it was so public and painful – that’s only part of the reason his death prompted such an outpouring. Days before his death, the 84-year-old pope appeared at a window overlooking St. Peter’s Basilica. St. Peter’s Square, struggling to utter a coherent syllable.
But in Benedict’s case, the act of aging happened mostly behind the scenes. Pope Francis replaced him as Catholicism’s spiritual authority, and in retirement Benedict left his mark only sparingly — in occasional writings or appearances in Vatican photos. Some conservative Catholics considered him a regular source of inspiration. But its daily relevance to many in the faith had diminished.
“Now he’s yesterday’s pope,” said Gerard O’Connell, a Vatican correspondent who has covered the church for more than three decades, and who wrote an account of the conclave that elected Francis.
O’Connell said Benedict received an emotional sendoff – but that was in 2013, when he abdicated. More than 100,000 people gathered for his final address, some in tears as he spoke of loving the church and having “the courage to make difficult and painful decisions”. The next day he was taken by helicopter to his summer residence, Castel Gandolfo, who is no longer the pope.
“I vividly remember the feeling of grief, of emotion,” O’Connell said.
Benedict had earned a central place in modern Catholicism even before becoming pope, first with his theological research and then with his two decades as John Paul’s trusted lieutenant. After eight years as pontiff, he became the first pope to abdicate in 600 years.
But some people queuing Monday noted that Benedict, for all his stature in faith, looked so small in death. Part of this was the scale of the basilica. Even before his health failed, he was only 5 feet 7 inches tall. In recent years it has become more and more vaulted.
“He looked so fragile,” said Markus Lautenschlager, a Protestant pastor from Germany, visiting Rome with his family, who lined up to pay their respects.
Lying in state, his hands were joined at the waist, holding a rosary. His skin had a grayish tint.
“It was a bit morbid,” said Denisa Manojlovic, visiting Rome from Croatia.
Pope Francis last Wednesday said his predecessor was in poor health and asked for prayers. François went to visit Benoît’s body shortly after his death, and before the funeral Mass on Thursday.
Authorities expect a crowd of around 60,000 people for the funeral. After that, Benoît will be buried in the caves of the entrails of Saint-Pierre. Peter’s, which houses the remains of 91 popes. The funeral will not have quite the pomp of those given to previous popes, a mark of Benedict XVI’s status as pope emeritus. Only two delegations, Italian and German, are present.
Even Monday, Benedict did not have all the marks of a pontiff. The Vatican news site noted that Benedict lay in state without a pallium, a garment that would not be used for a “retired prelate.”
For nearly a decade, Benedict had lived in a monastery within the walls of the Vatican; this is also where he died. Her body was transferred by van to the basilica early Monday morning and then transported into the basilica by 10 white-gloved attendants on a platform covered in red cloth. Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of the basilica, prayed that the “deceased pope emeritus” would be welcomed into the “eternal home”.
Before the public opening, Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid their respects.
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