Although Pope Francis simplified the papal funeral rites in a move of typical modesty, ... The last papal funeral – for Pope Benedict XVI in 2023 – was also held six days after his death.

And the future Pope Benedict, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, preached at the funeral of Pope St. John Paul II when Ratzinger was the leader, or the dean, of all senior church officials – what's ...

The pope's funeral is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, beginning at 10 a.m. local time in St. Peter's Square, which is 4 a.m. ET and 1 a.m. PST. What To Expect From Pope Francis' Funeral ...

Benedict served as pope from 2005 through 2013, when he took the unusual step of becoming pope emeritus at 85. Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush will not attend the funeral.

The funeral for his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, in 2022, lasted about two hours. Before that, the 2005 funeral for Pope John Paul II ran more than two and a half hours.

Pope Francis presiding over the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in St. Peter’s Square in 2023. Credit... James Hill for The New York Times. By Gaia Pianigiani. April 21, 2025.

No one from the British royal family attended the 2023 funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. As for previous papal inaugurations, Francis’ 2013 ceremony was attended by the Duke and Duchess of ...