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

EWTN Vatican on WhatsApp

EWTN

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

Society of St. Pius X pilgrimage added to Vatican’s jubilee year calendar amid tensions

The Vatican has included a pilgrimage by the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) on its official calendar for the 2025 Jubilee Year, despite the traditionalist Catholic group’s historically fraught relationship with the Holy See.

Full text: Homily of Cardinal Reina on third day of Novendiales

On April 28, 2025, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general for the Diocese of Rome, delivered the following homily during the third day of Novendiales Masses for Pope Francis.

The City of Rome Celebrates the Ancient Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

Every year, on June 29th, the city of Rome celebrates its patron saints: Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

Pope Francis: Migrant crisis requires wisdom, not ‘alarmist propaganda’

Pope Francis on Saturday told an interreligious youth conference in Marseille, France, that the deepening migrant crisis unfolding

The Holy Door In St. Paul

At the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, Cardinal James Harvey opened the fifth and final Holy Door for the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee of Hope.

Saint John Paul II: 20 Years Later, His Legacy Still Inspires the World

Twenty years after his death, Pope St. John Paul II’s memory endures. His long papacy left a lasting mark on the Church and the modern world.

LIVE
FROM THE VATICAN

Be present live on EWTNVatican.com