{UAH} Over 300.000 people will attend the funeral Mass for Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI pictured with Nigeria's Cardinal Frencis Arinze on their flight to Africa in 2009 when the Pope visited Benin and Cameroon. The two eminent personalities were marked for their very friendly attitude in the Vatican.

Africa has expressed a lot of very deep sorrow over the death of Pope Benedict XVI who is now being adorned and showered with praises by all African Episcopal Conferences, including Uganda whose bishops have spoken very smartly on the deceased Pontiff.

An estimated 300.000 or more pilgrims will cram St Peter's Square today Thursday 5, 2022 to bid farewell to the great Pope whose Requiem Mass will be presided by Pope Francis assisted by the Dean of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Ré, who will actually be at the altar as the pope has problems with his knee. But Pope Francis himself will deliver the sermon.

Previsions look already at a gigantic crowd overboarding the Square to extend to neighbouring streets and down up to the Tiber River. In other words, if the weather is nice, Rome may expect to see close to 400.000 people turning up for this ceremony which will in addition be attended by 125 cardinals, 420 bishops, over 4.000 priests and a choir of 250 choristers.

There will also be some eight royals, seven presidents, including the one of Togo, and several prime ministers, including the one of Gabon.

 Hundreds of Christian churches from all over the world have expressed their wish to attend the ceremony.

Viewing of the body ended last evening and by that time 250.000 to 300.000 pîlgrims had already filed past their beloved Pope's remains. 

 Over 1.000 journalists from 30 countries have already requested the Vatican to allow them also to transmit the ceremony in their respective countries. And thousands of other journalists have arrived to report or to record the great ceremony.

 It won't be a public holiday at the Vatican where everyone is mobilized in one way or another to contribute all effort to ensure the success of the mourning while at the same time the regular routine continues to be respected.For example; yesterday Wednesday the pope went on with his weekly public general audience , held in the Paul VI Aula and attended by 7.000 pilgrims. He however reminded his audience to honour the memory of the deceased Pope who was an exemplary leader.

 Pope Benedict XVI will be laid in the Vatican grottoes under the Basilica in the empty tomb in which on two different occasions two great Popes, John XXIII and John Paul I , had first been buried before they were transferred to the Basilica at the time of their beatification.

  Many countries and dioceses have held Thanksgiving Masses in honour of Pope Benedict.

Yesterday the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, presided over a special Mass in the vast St Sulpice parish church. Over 3.000 people of various ages and social status attended this Mass which the Archbishop concelebrated together with three bishops and 500 priests. Everywhere in France such celebrations have been going on for the past three days. People over here liked Pope Benedict very much.

Definitely, this Pope is already in Heaven praying for the Church and for humanity.

Dr G.H. Kkolokolo

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