The Diplomat
Queen Sofía and the Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, travelled yesterday to the Vatican City to represent Spain at the funeral for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who died on December 31, 2022.
After her arrival, according to the Royal House, Doña Sofía went to St. Peter’s Basilica, where she was received by the Vatican’s Chief of Protocol, Joseph Murphy. Afterwards, she went inside the Basilica, where she had a moment of recollection before the body of Benedict XVI. The Queen Emeritus was accompanied in the mortuary chapel by Felix Bolaños.
Afterwards, Queen Sofia went to the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See, where she held a meeting with the authorities and the Embassy staff, attended by Felix Bolaños, the Spanish Ambassador to the Holy See, Maria Isabel Celaá; the Spanish Ambassador to the Italian Republic, Miguel Angel Fernandez-Palacios; the President of the Spanish Episcopal Conference and Archbishop of Barcelona, Juan José Omella; the Vice President of the Spanish Episcopal Conference and Archbishop of Madrid, Carlos Osoro; and the Archbishop Emeritus of Madrid, Antonio María Rouco Varela, among other religious and political authorities. The day concluded with a dinner.
Today, Doña Sofía, Bolaños and Celaá will attend the funeral mass for Benedict XVI, which will be celebrated in St. Peter’s Square and officiated by Pope Francis. Once the funeral is over, the coffin of the Pope Emeritus will be transferred to St. Peter’s Basilica and, subsequently, to the Vatican Grottoes, where he will be buried.
According to the Ministry of the Presidency in a press release, for three days, and until yesterday afternoon, “tens of thousands of faithful were able to enter St. Peter’s Basilica to pay a last tribute to the Pope Emeritus”.
On the other hand, the Apostolic Nunciature in Spain assured Europa Press that it has already received a “flood” of messages since January 3, when it opened the book of condolences in memory of the Pope Emeritus (which will be open until tomorrow Friday at noon). According to sources at the Nunciature, the first ambassadors who came to sign were those of Peru, Italy and the Dominican Republic. In addition, numerous messages of condolences have arrived through the Apostolic Nunciature’s e-mail from bishoprics, businesses and the media.
