Pope Francis (86) met his predecessor, former Pope Benedict XVI, on Thursday. (1927-2022), honored at a funeral service in the Vatican. Benedict, who resigned from the papacy in 2013, died on December 31 at the age of 95.

Dignitaries as well as politicians and celebrities were among the guests at the ceremony. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (64), Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (67) and Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (56) traveled from Germany to the funeral ceremony in Rome.

Tens of thousands of believers also gathered on St. Peter's Square to say goodbye to Benedict. In the service, Pope Francis spoke of the "wisdom", the "sensitivity" and the "devotion" that Benedict "has known to give us over the years".

The coffin of Benedict XVI. was taken to the crypt under St. Peter's Basilica after Mass. The tomb of the Pope Emeritus is in the Vatican Grottoes. It was previously the resting place of John Paul II (1920-2005). After his beatification, his remains were reburied inside the basilica.