Tens of thousands view body of former Pope Benedict

Tens of thousands of people poured into St. Peter's Basilica Monday to pay their respects and to honor former Pope Benedict XVI. His body was laying in state before his funeral this week.

Pope Benedict, who was a hero for conservative Catholics and yearned to return to a more traditional Church in their faith, died Saturday aged 95. He had been living in the Vatican monastery since 2013, when he was the first pope in 600 years to resign.

After viewing the body, Veronica Siegal (16 years old) from Baton Rouge, Louisiana said that he made her feel like a grandfather.

She claimed that she had used one of Benedict's books about Jesus as a course material.

Molly Foley (16) from Atlanta, Georgia said that she knows that her classmate is in a better spot because he was a holyman and led such a well. The American flag was worn by a third member of the group.

Visitors had to go through multiple security checks before they could enter the basilica. Many people stopped to pray or to go to side chapels to receive Mass after seeing the body.

According to the Vatican Police, in the first five hours of the day, more than 40,000 people had already filed past.

Benedict's body was dressed in liturgical vestments in red and golden and placed on a simple dais. It was then moved through the Vatican Gardens, from the monastery, to a spot right in front of Christendom’s largest Church.

On either side of the body were two Swiss Guards who stood out in attention. They wore no papal regalia or insignia, including a crosier or silver staff with a crossfix or a pallium. This was a band of cloth around the neck of archdiocesan Bishops.

Both were present on Pope John Paul's body in 2005 when it was laid in state.

Although it was not known if the cross of the pastoral spirit or any other items he used would be buried with him, the decision to not have them during public viewing seemed to have been made to emphasize that he was no longer pope at the time he died.

Matteo Bruni, a Vatican spokesperson, said Benedict would be buried in the exact spot he requested in the crypts beneath St. Peter's Basilica. This is the same spot where Pope John Paul II was first interred in 2005. His body was then moved to a chapel within the basilica in 2011.

ITALY'S LEADERS PAY RESPECTS

Before the Church was open to the public, Sergio Mattarella, the Italian President, and Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Georgia Meloni were among the first to pay their respects.

Benedict's closest friend, Archbishop Georg Ganswein sat at the first pew next to his body, along with Benedict’s household and the medics who cared for him in his final days.

After some time, they rose to offer prayers before the body. Ganswein remained behind to accept condolences.

Sri, a visiting woman from Jakarta, Indonesia told Reuters that "I had to go". She said that "he was the pope" and that she was a Catholic, but declined to reveal her surname.

Benedict will remain in state until Wednesday night. Pope Francis will preside over his funeral on Thursday at St Peter's Square. According to the Vatican, it will be a solemn, simple and solemn ceremony that reflects Benedict's wishes.

The Vatican has meticulously crafted rituals for what to do after a reigning Pope dies, but none for former popes. So what happens in the next few hours could be the template of future ex-popes.

Bruni stated that the details of the funeral Mass are still being finalized.

Although the crowd was large, it did not reflect the massive numbers of people who visited the basilica to pay respects to Pope John Paul II. Millions waited hours for entry to the basilica.

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