BY: ANDREW COLTON | Editor and Publisher
ROME, ITALY (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2022 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — As news spreads of the death of Pope Benedict XVI, BocaNewsNow.com is in Rome and just visited the Vatican on the day Pope Francis announced his predecessor was gravely ill.
The Tuesday announcement came as Pope Francis held a regularly scheduled audience, in which the faithful ask for his blessing. Thousands entered St. Peter’s Square, including a man in a tuxedo and a woman in a wedding dress — hoping for a blessing over their marriage. Others entered seeking just a glimpse of the Pontiff.
Pope Francis’ announcement of Pope Benedict XVI’s condition was surprising, yet the Vatican seemed prepared. Television cameras, in position from Christmas Mass, remained on pedestals. Thousands of chairs remained stacked in St. Peter’s Square — seemingly prepared for another major event.
Plans for Pope Benedict XVI’s funeral were not immediately clear. He is the first Pope in modern times to resign his position. Scholars say there is no publicly announced protocol for the death of a former Pope.
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