The celebration of the funeral of Benedict XVI by his predecessor Francis has a precedent in the modern era of the Church, published this Wednesday by “Vatican News”, the official information of the Holy See. It’s almost a find why the circumstances were very different.
Joseph Ratzinger resigned from his post on February 28, after more than 600 years in which there is no mention of a spontaneous resignation of a pontiff.
Thus Ratzinger went down in history with his resignation from the papacy, 607 years after the forced resignation of Gregory XII in 1415. Many believe that the reference to 708 years this happened after the monk’s voluntary resignation Celestine V.
Pope Francis will preside over the solemn funeral of his predecessor on Thursday at 9.30 (5.30 in Argentina) in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, an event that was thought to be unprecedented. However, there is one albeit with notable differences.
The Pius VI case
The case of Pius VI, whose name was Gianangelo Braschi (short for Angelo Onofrio Melchiorre Natale Giovanni Antonio Braschi dei Bandi), born in 1717 in Cesena, is very different in his circumstances.
Pius VI was elected pope in 1775, becoming the 250th pope of the Catholic Church. But He was taken prisoner by Napoleon and died in Valence in 1799.
When the Bastille was taken in 1789, which marked the beginning of the French Revolution, Pius VI denounced the action of the revolutionary regime and condemned the religious persecutions, but he did not have the absolute support of the French clergy who expressed their loyalty to the new France.
Pius VI also condemned Louis XVI’s death by guillotine and celebrated the king’s funeral.
In May 1976 Napoleon Bonaparte was advancing towards Lombardy and then towards Milan. French troops finally entered Rome on February 15, 1798, the 23rd anniversary of the pontificate. Pius VI was arrested on the night of February 20th. And he was deported to France as a prisoner of state, with poor health. He was 81 years old.
His successor Pius VII, elected before the vacant see of the papacy, he made an effort to repatriate the remains of Pius VI to Rome after Napoleon authorized their transfers.
In December 1801, the body of Pius VI began a long journey which culminated in its arrival by boat in Genoa.
A “triumphant pilgrimage” followed, according to “Vatican News”, for the solemn funeral carried out in several stages. On February 17, 1802, the coffin with the dead prisoner Pope entered Rome, welcomed by the cardinals and the people.
The new Pope Pius VII held the solemn funeral ceremony in St. Peter’s Basilica.
And the body of Pius VI was then taken to the Vatican grottoes, where more than 90 popes are buried today.
Vatican correspondent
ap
Source: Clarin
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.