In watching the video of Benedict XVI’s funeral, I noticed the terrible treatment of the former Pope.
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First, there is the way in which his body was moved to St. Peter’s Basilica. His body was placed in a gray business van. The van was followed by a funeral procession of only a few people.
It is a common custom in Italy for the funeral procession to follow the van carrying the body of the deceased. The Vatican refused to allow such a funeral procession. Many bishops wanted to be part of the funeral procession, but were denied and could not attend.
Some people said, “This is not done even to any man from the smallest village in Italy.”
(For this and other details, see Rorate Caeli )
The church where he arrived had nothing but a lonely funeral procession, and from the video alone, it looked like the funeral procession of a man who lived a lonely life. The fact is different. Although not shown in the video, there were many people outside St. Peter’s Basilica waiting for his body to arrive.
This was the treatment of Benedict XVI, a priest, a bishop, and a Pope. Such acts of impiety against the dead should not be tolerated. However, the fact that these actions were taken proves that Benedict XVI was definitely fighting against the wolves.
As it is written, “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11, 12.)