Catholics Pay Homage To Late Pope

Catholics pay homage to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at the Vatican before his funeral on Thursday.

Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, the German theologian who became Pope Benedict XVI, served as head of the Catholic church and the sovereign of the Vatican City State from April 19, 2005 until his resignation, due to ill health, on February 28, 2013.

Pope Benedict, who succeeded Pope John Paul II and was succeeded by Pope Francis, died on December 31, 2022 aged 95 at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery in Vatican City.

IMAGE: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI lies in state in St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. Photograph: Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters

IMAGE: A priest carries a censer to spread the fragrance of incense around Pope Benedict's body. Photograph: Vatican Media/Handout/Reuters

IMAGE: A cardinal kisses Pope Benedict's hand. Photograph: Vatican Media/Handout/Reuters

IMAGE: Priests pray for his eternal journey. Photograph: Vatican Media/Handout/Reuters

IMAGE: Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni beside Pope Benedict's bier. Photograph: Vatican Media/Handout/Reuters

IMAGE: People queue for a glimpse of Pope Benedict. Photograph: Vatican Media/Handout/Reuters

IMAGE: Nuns pay homage to the late pope. Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

IMAGE: The faithful queue to enter St Peter's Basilica to pay homage. Photograph: Ciro De Luca/Reuters

IMAGE: L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican's daily newspaper, reports Pope Benedict's passing on its front page. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

IMAGE: Monks wait in St Peter's Square to pay their respects. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

IMAGE: The faithful take pictures of the late pope. Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

IMAGE: A camera operator works as the faithful pay homage. Photograph: Ciro De Luca/Reuters

IMAGE: A seller displays goods, including images of Popes John Paul II, Benedict and Francis outside St Peter's Basilica. Photograph: Ciro De Luca/Reuters