The funeral ceremony for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, held in St. Peter's Square, which was packed with people, has come to an end. A total of 3,700 Catholic clergymen participated, while ten bishops arrived in Rome from Germany, the late pontiff's country of origin.

The ceremony was attended by over a thousand journalists from thirty-five countries around the world. Representatives of the Italian Jewish and Muslim communities were also present. The Ecumenical Patriarchate was represented by Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, accompanied by Metropolitan Polycarp of Italy. Our country was represented by the Ambassador to the Vatican, Katia Georgiou.

The Italian delegation was led by the President of the Republic, while others present in St. Peter's Square included German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar, and Hungarian President Katalin Novak. France was represented by Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.

By decision of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, flags at all public buildings across the country are flying at half-mast today as a sign of mourning.

 «Many believers called for Benedict's »immediate canonization."

Many faithful who attended the funeral of the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in St. Peter's Square today called for his «immediate canonization» («santo subito»). «We entrust our brother to the hands of the Father. May those hands, full of mercy, find the lamp lit with the oil of the Gospel, the word he spread during his lifetime,» Pope Francis said shortly before the end of the ceremony. Francis approached and prayed, placing his hands on the coffin, shortly before it was transferred to the Vatican grottoes, where the German pontiff was buried.

‘As announced by the Holy See, more than 130 cardinals participated in the funeral service for the honorary pontiff. Italian media reported that an estimated sixty thousand faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square and the surrounding streets to watch the religious ceremony.