It will be the first time in history that a former pope will have his funeral presided over by a sitting pope after he dies.
The pope was laid to rest in the basilica.
More than 135,000 people have come to the Vatican to pay their respects to Pope Benedict XVI, as he lies in state at Saint Peter's Basilica.
More than 60,000 people are expected to attend his funeral on Thursday in Saint Peter's Square.
His body was moved to a chapel in the basilica after he was initially buried.
The Holy See Press Office confirmed on the morning of New Year's Eve that Benedict had died at the age of 95.
Benedict had been living in the Vatican with Pope Francis since he stepped down due to old age, saying his strength was no longer suitable for administering the Petrine office.
The White House confirmed on Tuesday that President Joe Biden wouldn't travel to the Vatican for Benedict's funeral because he didn't want to offend the pope.
According to the Catholic News Agency, only two official state delegations were invited to the funeral.
The director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, said that Pope Benedict had been suffering with "aggravation" due to his age. Pope Francis asked thelord to console him and to sustain him in his witness of love for the Church until the end. Pope Francis called Benedict a "noble" and a "kind" after he died. At 78, Benedict became the oldest Catholic Cardinal since 1730, coming into the position at the height of the sex abuse scandal, in which the church hid thousands of sexual abuse reports.
Pope Francis is the first pope to lead a funeral for a pope, but he isn't the first pope to attend a pope's funeral. Pope Pius VII attended the funeral of Pope Pius VI in 1802, two years after the former leader was captured by Napoleon's army.
Half a million. The Catholic News Agency says 600,000 people watched the funeral of Pope John Paul II on large TVs in Rome. More than 3 million people came to Rome for the funeral services, causing a three mile line to view the pope's body before it was interred.
Since Pope Gregory XII stepped down in 1415, no pope has followed in his predecessor's footsteps and resigned. In July of last year, Pope Francis denied rumors that he was suffering from cancer and dismissed speculation over his resignation as "court gossip." Typically, a pope is chosen under a secret voting system by a group of worldwide Catholic leaders, with a two-thirds majority needed to be declared. A white smoke is created when a new pope is selected.
There are more than 135,000 Catholics in the Vatican.
People pay respects at the Vatican.
The first pope to resign in 600 years died at the age of 95.
Is tomorrow's funeral an unprecedented event? It depends on how you view it.
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