On a chilly Thursday morning in Rome, Pope Francis presided over the funeral of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI in a historic event that has not been seen for centuries. A thick fog—rare in Rome—veiled the dome of St. Peter’s basilica until after the wooden coffin was taken inside the church. Benedict resigned in 2013 after serving just under eight years. He was the first pope to leave office in nearly 600 years, setting what could be a precedent for pontiffs to come. Francis, whose governing style is starkly different from Benedict’s often dogmatic approach to church doctrine, called his predecessor “wise and tender” in the solemn service. Benedict was buried in the tomb in the crypt under St. Peter’s basilica that was inhabited by Pope John Paul II until his body was moved into the main church when he became a saint.
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