Former pope Benedict XVI, who died on
New Year's Eve aged 95, will be placed in the former tomb of
Pope Saint John Paul II in the bowels of St Peter's, Vatican
spokesman Matteo Bruni said Monday, confirming earlier reports.
The late Polish pope, who died in 2005 aged 85, was moved from
the tomb and up into the Basilica following his beatification in
2011.
John Paul II went on to become a saint in 2014 in a joint
canonization with an earlier pope, John XXIII.
Bruni said Benedict would be buried immediately after his
funeral on Thursday.
The head of the Vatican press office also confirmed that the
only two official delegations will be the Italian and German
ones.
Countless faithful are filing past Benedict's body as it lies in
state ahead of the funeral. President Sergio Mattarella and
Premier Giorgia Meloni were among the first to pay homage to the
late emeritus pope, who sensationally resigned in 2013, after
the ceremony was opened to the public at nine o'clock Monday.
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