The Latest Breaking News from Joseph Ratzinger

When the late Pope Francis first stepped on to the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica following his election 12 years ago, he remarked that he had been called almost from the “end of the world”. He was the first non-European pontiff since Gregory III, elected in AD731, who was of…

The 88-year-old pontiff had been well aware of his fragile state and advanced age. As early as 2015, Pope Francis had expressed the desire to be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a fifth-century church in Rome dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was so devoted to…

Pope Francis has met with Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, the longtime secretary of Pope Benedict XVI

Bells tolled and the crowd in St. Peter’s square applauded as pallbearers emerged from a fog-shrouded St. Peter’s Basilica and placed Benedict’s simple cypress coffin before the altar in the square outside.

Bells tolled Thursday for the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the German theologian who made history by retiring, as thousands of mourners packed St. Peter's Square.

Police estimated some 100,000 would be attending Thursday morning’s funeral service

More than 100,000 people are believed to be attending in the hope of taking part in a requiem mass to mark the occasion

Mourners poured into St. Peter’s Square early Thursday for the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, hoping to pay final respects to the German theologian who made history by retiring and participate in a rare requiem Mass for a dead pope presided over by a living one.

Mourners are streaming into St. Peter’s Square for the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI