- Title: PM Meloni joins faithful paying respects to former Pope Benedict in St. Peter's
- Date: 2nd January 2023
- Summary: VATICAN CITY (JANUARY 2, 2023) (REUTERS) INTERIOR OF SAINT PETER'S BASILICA, BODY OF POPE BENEDICT LYING ON CATAFALQUE IN CENTRE BODY OF POPE BENEDICT ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER GIORGIA MELONI (LEFT), SECRETARY OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF ITALY ALFREDO MANTOVANO (CENTRE) AND MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE FRANCESCO LOLLOBRIGIDA (RIGHT) AND MOURNERS MELONI AND MOURNERS BODY OF POPE BENEDICT MELONI POPE BENEDICT'S BODY MOURNERS KNEELING, PAYING RESPECTS BASILICA WITH BODY LYING IN CENTRE VARIOUS OF MOURNERS TAKING PICTURES ON PHONES BODY LYING IN STATE / SWISS GUARD STANDING NEAR BODY OF POPE BENEDICT MELONI LEAVING, SHAKING HANDS WITH OTHERS VARIOUS OF MOURNERS CROWDED IN THE BASILICA POPE BENEDICT'S BODY, SWISS GUARD MELONI SPEAKING TO MOURNERS CROWD IN FRONT OF THE BODY SWISS GUARD CROWD IN FRONT OF THE BODY VARIOUS OF POPE'S BODY CROWDS IN BASILICA, BODY IN CENTRE
- Embargoed: 16th January 2023 08:56
- Keywords: Former Pope Benedict Italy Rome St. Peter's Basilica Vatican City faithful
- Location: VATICAN CITY
- City: VATICAN CITY
- Country: Vatican City
- Topics: Europe,Religion/Belief,Society/Social Issues,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001988502012023RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: CONTAINS IMAGES OF FORMER POPE'S BODY
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was among mourners paying their respects on Monday (January 2) to the body of former Pope Benedict inside St. Peter's Basilica.
The body of Benedict XVI will lie in state in the Basilica for three days before his funeral on January 5 which will be held in St. Peter's Square, in front of the basilica. The ceremony will start at 9:30 a.m. (0830 GMT) and will be presided over by Pope Francis.
It will be the first time in many centuries that a sitting pope will preside at the funeral of his predecessor. Benedict, who stepped down in 2013, had been the first pontiff in 600 years to resign.
(Production: Cristiano Corvino, Thomas Holdstock) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2023. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None