VATICAN CITY — Benedict XVI broke with tradition when he became the first pope in six centuries to abdicate. His death at 95, announced by the Vatican on Saturday, has raised questions about which papal funeral traditions may apply to an ex-pope.
For sure some customs aren’t relevant. There’s no need to destroy the Fisherman’s Ring that doubles as a papal seal — his customized ring was already slashed to make it unusable when he stepped down in 2013. And the mourning period won’t be followed by the drama of a conclave to select his successor. That’s already happened, too.
But what shape the ceremonies will take for Benedict remains unclear. Will he lie in state wearing red pontifical vestments? Will a traditional nine-day mourning period, the novemdiales, be observed after his burial? The Holy See press office, announcing that Benedict passed away at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery within Vatican City, said only that further information would be provided soon. Here’s what we know so far.
