Pope Francis to address faithful after former pope's death
Pope Francis
Pope Francis is due to address the Catholic faithful on Sunday (January 1) at the Vatican, just a day after the death of his predecessor Pope Benedict at the age of 95.
On Saturday, Pope Francis led tributes to the "kind" and "noble" emeritus pope, who died almost a decade after becoming the first head of the Catholic church in six centuries to step down.
On Sunday, Pope Francis is due to preside over a service marking the World Day of Peace at St Peter's Basilica, before addressing the faithful in St Peter's Square for the Angelus prayer at 1100 GMT.
The funeral of Pope Benedict will take place on Thursday morning. Pope Francis will preside over the solemn ceremony.
His body will lie in state for three days before that, allowing the faithful to pay their respects to a pontiff who divided Catholics with his staunch defence of traditional values.
Benedict's funeral will be "solemn but simple", the Vatican said, after which he will be buried in the papal tombs under St Peter's Basilica.
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Tributes poured in from around the world on Saturday to a brilliant theologian who nevertheless struggled to impose his authority on the church as it battled a string of crises, including over clerical sex abuse.
US President Joe Biden, a devout Catholic, praised his "devotion to the Church", while Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed him as a "defender of traditional Christian values".
(With inputs from agencies)
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