The late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI will be remembered in a nine-day novena Jan. 5-13. The novena begins the day of his funeral in Rome.
“The entire Church mourns the death of our emeritus Holy Father, Benedict XVI. In cathedrals, basilicas, parish churches, shrines and chapels the Holy Eucharist will be offered for the repose of his soul. Communities and individuals will ask God to bestow his infinite mercy on the man who served the Church as Bishop of Rome,” according to the novena booklet prepared by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The novena themes are:
- Day 1: Jan. 5 – “You are Peter …”
- Day 2: Jan. 6 – “Feed my Sheep …”
- Day 3: Jan. 7 – “Peter, the Unity of all the Church”
- Day 4: Jan. 8 – “Authentic Teacher of the Faith”
- Day 5: Jan. 9 – “Strengthen Your Brothers …”
- Day 6: Jan. 10 – “The Petrine Ministry of Mercy”
- Day 7: Jan. 11 – “Peter, the First of the Apostles”
- Day 8: Jan. 12 – “Union of Popes and Bishops”
- Day 9: Jan. 13 – “Successor to the Apostle Peter”
The novena consists of a short reading from Scripture or some other ecclesiastical text and some brief prayers. Parishes throughout the eight-county Diocese of Cleveland are encouraged to participate in the novena remembering the late pontiff.
Pope Benedict’s funeral will take place at 9:30 a.m. Rome time (2:30 a.m. EST) on Jan. 5 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome with Pope Francis presiding. He also will be the homilist and will offer the final blessing for his predecessor.
The funeral Mass will be broadcast live by Catholic radio station AM 1260 The Rock.
Bishop Martin Amos, retired bishop of Davenport, Iowa, will celebrate a Mass for the dead at noon Jan. 5 in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. The liturgy will be livestreamed on the diocesan website.
Pope Benedict, who led the Catholic Church worldwide for eight years – 2005-2013 – died Dec. 31, 2022 in Rome at age 95. He resigned from the papacy for health reasons.
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