Benedict’s admirers keep streaming to St. Peter’s Square to honor him

Nuns arrive at dawn to view the body of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as it lies in state in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, yesterday

For a second day, lines of people wanting to honor Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI ‘s service to the Catholic church snaked around St. Peter’s Square yesterday to view the late retired pontiff’s body.

Benedict died on Saturday at age 95, 10 years after retiring from the papacy — the first to do so in 600 years — and after increasingly frail health. His body lies in state in St. Peter’s Basilica, where thousands of faithful and curious came for the viewing.

On Monday, the first day the general public could view the body, around 65,000 people paid their respects — about double what Italian security had predicted. A third day of viewing is set for Wednesday.

On Thursday, Pope Francis will lead the funeral Mass at St. Peter’s Square for his predecessor, whose retirement lasted two years longer than his papacy, which began in 2005.

Along with the rank-and-file faithful or the simply curious also came some notable figures from politics and Catholic hierarchy

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was among those coming to the basilica viewing. Like Benedict did, Orbán has crusaded for a revival of what conservatives in Europe view as Europe’s Christian roots.

The basilica’s doors opened before dawn yesterday. Among those paying respects was 6-year-old Miriam Groppelli, who is an altar server in her parish in Milan.

She and her father, Giuseppe Groppelli, 40, traveled by train in the early hours to offer their homage, along with the child’s grandparents and older brother and sisters.

“I told her his story and she was really excited to come to Rome to say goodbye,” the father said. “Benedict has been very important for the Church, his speeches were so clear and beautiful, he leaves a great legacy of knowledge.”

Groppelli offered his take on the unusual, nearly-decade-long arrangement that saw Benedict’s retirement in the Vatican City monastery where he died on Saturday, and Francis, who was elected in 2013 by fellow cardinals to succeed him.

“I believe there’s no real war or competition within the church and between popes. The church lives and grows every day, also thanks to their words,” he said.

Benedict, who as German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had served for decades at the Vatican as the church’s guardian of doctrinal orthodoxy, was known for his theological knowledge as well as for eloquent speeches, which — unlike like many of his predecessors — would write himself.

Francis will eulogize his predecessor at the funeral, which the Vatican has said would be marked by the simplicity that Benedict requested.

Since Benedict was no longer head of Vatican City State, in contrast to protocols for funerals of popes who died when they were reigning, only two countries — Italy and his native Germany — will send official delegations, according to the Vatican.

Instead, politicians and royalty, especially of predominantly Catholic countries, will attend in a private role.

With no need to elect a new pontiff following this former pope’s death, cardinals who attend the funeral won’t have to stay on in Rome to vote in a secret conclave to pick the next man who will help shape the Church’s direction.

Still, with cardinals from around the world flocking to Rome to mourn the former pope, Francis would have ample opportunity to confer with these “princes of the Church,’’ who — besides electing future pontiffs — serve as privileged advisers to reigning popes.

The last decade saw an uneasy kind of equilibrium over the presence in the Vatican of a retired pope and a reigning pope.

Now, Francis governs the church without that presence, which loomed over his papacy despite Benedict’s last years lived out mainly with prayer and meditation.

Yesterday, two powerful U.S. churchmen, Cardinals Timothy Dolan of New York and Sean Patrick O’Malley of Boston, attended Mass in the basilica being celebrated at an altar just behind the central viewing area for Benedict’s body.

Francis has largely conducted business as usual since his predecessor passed away.

He meet with the cardinal who heads the Italian bishops conference, bid farewell to South Korea’s ambassador to the Holy See in a courtesy visit, greeted a delegation of an organization promoting brotherhood and appointed new papal envoys to Uruguay and to United Arab Emirates.

Francis’ schedule also conferred with the basilica’s archpriest, who on Monday, after Benedict’s body was transferred in a pre-dawn procession from the monastery to the basilica, sprinkled holy water and incense by the bier. GIADA ZAMPANO & FRANCES D’EMILIO, VATICAN CITY, MDT/AP