donderdag 5 januari 2023

Funeral: Benedict XVI (1927-2022)

5 January 2023

King Philippe & Queen Mathilde attended the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger, at the Saint Peter Square in Vatican City.





No heads of state had been invited. The King & Queen of the Belgians attended the mass because they themselves wished to be there. Other heads of state and statesmen who were present for the same reason: President Duda of Poland, former Queen Sofia of Spain, PM Giorgia Meloni of Italy, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier & his wife, Elke Büdenbender.


Also present: President Sousa de Melo of Portugal, German chancellor Walter Steinmeier & his wife, Elke Budenbender. 




The funeral mass was held by Pope Francis.





Behind Mathilde you can see Patrick Renault, Belgian ambassador to the Holy See who for a short while in 2017-2018 was Director of Communications at Belgian Court.




After the service, Clotilde Courau and her daughter, Princess Vittoria de Savoie came to greet the royals.



Before the ceremony, Philippe & Mathilde had greeted the former Pope's body at his lying in state inside the Saint-Peter Basilica.



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