Pope Benedict XVI will be buried in the crypt under St. Peter’s Basilica; the Vatican said Saturday afternoon.
His body will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica from the morning of Monday, January 2, 2023, until his funeral Mass in St. Peter’s Square on January 5, 2023.
The tombs in the Vatican crypt are close to the remains of the Catholic Church’s first pope, St. Peter the Apostle.
Benedict XVI’s remains will stay at Mater Ecclesiae Monastery until January 2, 2022, the Vatican said. No official visits or public prayers are planned.
His body will lie in state from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on January 2, 2023, and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Jan. 3 and 4, 2023, in St. Peter’s Basilica, where members of the public may pay their final respects.
The funeral Mass on January 5, 2023, will take place at 9:30 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square. Attendance is free and requires no reservation.
At the end of the Mass, there will be the Final Commendation and valediction before Benedict XVI’s coffin is carried to the Vatican crypt for burial.
