Skip to content

Benedict XVI’s final resting place decided: He will be buried in Vatican crypt

Benedict XVI will be buried in the crypt under St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican said Saturday afternoon.

Benedict’s death, at the age of 95, was announced in Rome on Dec. 31. His body will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica from the morning of Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, until his funeral Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Jan. 5, 2023.

The tombs in the Vatican crypt are close to the remains of the Catholic Church’s first pope, St. Peter the Apostle.

Benedict XVI’s remains will stay at Mater Ecclesiae Monastery until Jan. 2, 2022, the Vatican said. No official visits or public prayers are planned.

His body will lie in state from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2023, and from 7 a.m to 7 p.m. on Jan. 3 and 4, 2023, in St. Peter’s Basilica, where members of the public may pay their final respects.

The funeral Mass on Jan. 5, 2023, will take place at 9:30 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square. Attendance is free and requires no reservation.

At the end of the Mass, there will be the Final Commendation and valediction before Benedict XVI’s coffin is carried to the Vatican crypt for burial.

Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today

Share

Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican

Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter.

More news related to this article

New EWTN docuseries commemorates 100th anniversary of Christ the King

Marking the 100th anniversary of the feast of Christ the King, which this year falls on Nov. 23,
Pope Leo XIV is welcomed to Cameroon by President Paul Biya on April 15, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

Pope in Cameroon: Peace ‘cannot be decreed: It must be embraced and lived’

The second stop on Leo’s Africa trip is Cameroon, a country marked by conflict, yet whose civil society
Pope Leo greets a baby at the General Audience. Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Leo XIV Addresses Europe’s Demographic Crisis, AI, Gaza, and Ukraine

Pope Leo XIV addressed some of the most pressing challenges facing the world today, from Europe’s demographic decline

Pope Leo XIV meets with U.S. Orthodox-Catholic pilgrim group at Castel Gandolfo

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday met with a U.S. ecumenical group, led by Cardinal Joseph Tobin and Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, encouraging them to “return to the roots of our faith” in their pilgrimage to Italy and Turkey.   

Pope Leo XIV commends work of Knights of Columbus in message to Supreme Convention

Pope Leo XIV extolled the work of the Knights of Columbus in a prerecorded message for the Catholic fraternal organization’s 143rd Supreme Convention, which is being held in Washington, D.C., Aug. 5–7.

Vatican expresses solidarity with Muslims during Ramadan fast

The Vatican has expressed its solidarity with Muslims participating in the Ramadan fast, noting that Catholics also fast and do penance during the season of Lent and inviting greater dialogue and friendship between people of the two religions.

LIVE
FROM THE VATICAN

Be present live on EWTNVatican.com