MANILA, Philippines — Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula and Papal Nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown will lead the requiem mass for the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros on Friday.
In a Facebook post, the Manila Cathedral said that the Filipino Catholic faithful unable to visit the body of the late pontiff in the Vatican can attend the requiem mass that starts at 5 p.m. on Jan. 6.
“As we mourn the passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, a eucharist celebration will be offered on Friday, 6 January 2023, five o’clock (5:00) in the afternoon … Everyone is invited to join us in thanking the Lord for his life and ministry through the Holy Eucharist,” the Manila Cathedral said.
The requiem mass, which is a mass for the repose of the souls of the dead, will be held after the funeral mass of the pope emeritus at the Vatican that will be presided over by Pope Francis on Jan. 5 at 9:30 a.m. (Rome time) at St. Peter’s Square.
Benedict will be buried in the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica. He died on Dec. 31, 2022 at 9:34 a.m. at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery where he resided since his resignation in 2013 that led to the election of Francis.
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president and Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David mourned the passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as he thanked the Catholic faithful who extended their prayers “for his peaceful passage into eternal life.”
David said that he will “fondly remember” Benedict who appointed him bishop in July 2006 as he emphasized that the late pontiff will be remembered as the “Pope of Charity,” a great theologian, catechist and musician.