dpa
Rome
Pope Francis has called for prayers for the former head of the Catholic Church, Benedict XVI, the day after his death.
“Today we entrust the beloved pope emeritus Benedict XVI to the mother of God, to accompany him on his journey from this world to God,” said Pope Francis on Sunday during the New Year’s Mass in St Peter’s Basilica.
“We all join together with one heart and soul in thanksgiving to God for the gift of this faithful servant of the Gospel and the Church,” he said.
The former pope died on Saturday morning at the age of 95 at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery in the Vatican Gardens, where he had lived since his resignation in 2013.
German theologian Joseph Ratzinger, as Benedict was born, will lie in state at St Peter’s Basilica from Monday so the faithful can pay their respects. The funeral is scheduled for January 5.
