His Holiness Pope Francis, the Vicar of Christ and Supreme Pontiff celebrated the Solemn Requiem Mass for His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI assisted by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, His Eminence Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, Rome on Thursday, 5 January 2023 at 9.30 am Central European Time (8.30 am UTC)
Requiescat in Pace
Requiem Mass for His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI from Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Archdiocese of Singapore
Mass will be livestreamed (and available afterwards) from the link above.
Papal Funeral Mass of Pope Benedict XVI will be on 5 January 2023
Pope Francis will preside over the Papal Funeral Mass of Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday, 5 January 2023 at 9.30 am Central European Time (UTC + 1 hour)

Pope Benedict XVI (16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022)

Pope Benedict XVI, 265th Pope, Vicar of Christ and Supreme Pontiff of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church has passed away peacefully at 9.34 am Rome time on the last day of the Year of Our Lord 2022, 31 December 2022.
May he rest in peace. Requeiscat in Pace.
(College of Cardinals Update) Passing of Cardinal Giovanni Coppa, Cardinal Deacon of S. Lino, at the age of 90
Cardinal Giovanni Coppa, Cardinal Deacon of S. Lino and former Apostolic Nuncio to the Czech Republic has returned to the Lord on Monday, 16 May 2016 at the age 0f 90.
Cardinal Coppa was the Assessor for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State from 1975 to 1979, working in the Roman Curia, and then was made the Apostolic Nuncio to the Czech Republic (1990-2001) and to Slovakia (1993-1994). He was made a Prince of the Church as the Cardinal Deacon of S. Lino in the Consistory of 24 November 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI, the Vicar of Christ.
We pray for the soul of Cardinal Giovanni Coppa, that God will welcome him into the eternal glory of heaven. And we also thank God for having given us this great servant of God and His Church through his many works and dedications for the sake of the people of God. May God give him eternal rest. Amen.
As of today, with the passing of Cardinal Giovanni Coppa and the aging-out of Cardinal Karl Lehmann, the College of Cardinals stood at 214 members, consisting of 114 Cardinal-electors and 100 Cardinal non-electors.
Cardinals Update: Passing of Cardinal Edmund Casimir Szoka, Metropolitan Archbishop Emeritus of Detroit (United States of America), at the age of 86
Cardinal Edmund Casimir Szoka, Cardinal-Priest of Ss. Andrea e Gregorio al Monte Celio has passed away on last Wednesday, 20 August 2014 at the age of 86. He was the Metropolitan Archbishop of Detroit, one of the largest and most important Archdioceses in the United States of America, from 1981 to 1990. He was then appointed as the President of the Prefecture of the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, and the President of the Governatorate of the Vatican City State, a post which he held between 1997 to 2006, essentially the top prelate in charge of the day-to-day governance of the smallest country in the world, the Vatican City, where the heart of the Church is.
http://www.gcatholic.org/hierarchy/data/cardJP2-4.htm#169
Cardinal Szoka was created Cardinal in 1988 by Pope St. John Paul II in his fourth Cardinal creation consistory on 28 June 1988. His motto was “To live in faith”. This means an emphasis on truly living the faith in the life he led, and truly, he had been faithful and had already shown that faith through the actions he had done in his long and wonderful life filled with total dedication to the tasks given to him and to the people entrusted to his care.
We pray for Cardinal Szoka, that he will rest in peace, and God will reward him for all his hard and great work as the long time servant of God as the shepherd of the faithful in Detroit, as well as for all the ministries and good works he had done for the sake of God and His people in the entire Universal Church in his dedication and work in the Roman Curia. May the Lord welcome him into His embrace in heaven and give him eternal rest and happiness that he deserved.
With the passing of Cardinal Szoka, and the recent aging out of Cardinal Carlos Amigo Vallejo, the College of Cardinals now stands at 210 members, with 116 Cardinal-electors and 94 Cardinal non-electors. The number of Cardinal-electors now is 4 below the specified maximum limit of 120.
There are now 4 Cardinal-elector vacancy in the College of Cardinals, 0 vacant Cardinal Suburbicarian Sees (for Cardinal Bishops), 5 vacant Cardinal Titles (for Cardinal Priests) and 9 vacant Cardinal Deaconries (for Cardinal Deacons).
Cardinal deaths update: Passing of Cardinal Francesco Marchisano (Italy) and Cardinal Edward Bede Clancy (Australia)
Cardinal Francesco Marchisano, Cardinal-Priest of S. Lucia del Gonfalone pro hac vice Title passed away on Monday, 27 July 2014 at the age of 85. He was the President Emeritus of the Labour Office of the Apostolic See and the Permanent Commission for the Protection of Historical and Artistic Monuments of the Holy See. He was also the Vicar General Emeritus of the Diocese of Rome, a position which he occupied during the years 2002 to 2005.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Edward Bede Clancy, Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria in Vallicella passed away on Sunday, 3 August 2014 at the age of 90. He was the Metropolitan Archbishop Emeritus of Sydney, and therefore the Primate Emeritus of Australia. He faithfully led the faithful in Sydney from 1983 to 2001.
Cardinal Francesco Marchisano
http://www.gcatholic.org/hierarchy/data/cardJP2-9.htm#94
Cardinal Marchisano was created Cardinal in 2003 by Pope St. John Paul II in his ninth and last Cardinal creation consistory on 21 October 2003. His motto was In Caritate Radicati et Fundati, which means rooted and grounded in love, that is the emphasis placed on love, which is the essential and the greatest fruit of the Holy Spirit, and the fact that without love, we cannot truly have faith in the Lord.
Cardinal Edward Bede Clancy
http://www.gcatholic.org/hierarchy/data/cardJP2-4.htm#34
Cardinal Marchisano was created Cardinal in 1988 by Pope St. John Paul II in his fourth Cardinal creation consistory on 28 June 1988, on the eve of the Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul. His motto was Fides Mundum Vincit, which means faith conquers the world, the fact that is truly about how if we have faith, no matter what the world throws at us, we will prevail, just as the Lord will eventually prevail against the world and the forces of Satan.
We pray for the soul of these two great Princes of the Church and the servants of God’s people. May their hard work and commitments to the Church and God’s people bring them justification and eternal rest in God’s presence in heaven. We pray also for those whom they had left behind, that their legacies and hard work will continue to bear fruit in those whom they had touched in life.
With the passing of Cardinal Agre, the College of Cardinals now stands at 211 members, with 117 Cardinal-electors (one reduced due to Cardinal Claudio Hummes having exceeded the electorate age of 80) and 94 Cardinal non-electors. The number of Cardinal-electors now is 3 below the specified maximum limit of 120.
There are now 3 Cardinal-elector vacancy in the College of Cardinals, 0 vacant Cardinal Suburbicarian Sees (for Cardinal Bishops), 4 vacant Cardinal Title (for Cardinal Priests) and 8 vacant Cardinal Deaconries (for Cardinal Deacons).
Passing of Cardinal Bernard Agre, Metropolitan Archbishop Emeritus of Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire/Ivory Coast) at the age of 88
Cardinal Bernard Agre, Cardinal-Priest of S. Giovanni Crisostomo a Monte Sacro Alto has passed away on Monday, 9 June 2014 at the age of 88. He was the Metropolitan Archbishop of Abidjan, the principal diocese of Ivory Coast or Cote d’Ivoire, from 1994 and 2006. Prior to this he was the long time Bishop of Man from 1968 to 1992 and as Bishop of Yamoussoukro from 1992 to 1994, in Cote d’Ivoire.
http://www.gcatholic.org/hierarchy/data/cardJP2-8.htm#2
Cardinal Agre was created Cardinal in 2001 by Pope St. John Paul II in his eighth Cardinal creation consistory on 21 February 2001. His motto was Etre Tout a Tous, which means “Be all things to all”. This means an emphasis on service and Christian servant leadership, to give one’s best to all others who are in need.
We pray for Cardinal Agre, that he will rest in peace, and God will reward him for all his hard and great work as the long time servant of God as the shepherd of the faithful in Abidjan and Cote d’Ivoire, as well as for all the ministries and good works he had done for the sake of God and His people in the entire Universal Church. May the Lord welcome him into His embrace in heaven and give him eternal rest and happiness that he deserved.
With the passing of Cardinal Agre, the College of Cardinals now stands at 213 members, with 118 Cardinal-electors and 95 Cardinal non-electors. The number of Cardinal-electors now is 2 below the specified maximum limit of 120.
There are now 2 Cardinal-elector vacancy in the College of Cardinals, 0 vacant Cardinal Suburbicarian Sees (for Cardinal Bishops), 3 vacant Cardinal Title (for Cardinal Priests) and 7 vacant Cardinal Deaconries (for Cardinal Deacons).
Passing of Cardinal Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy, Metropolitan Archbishop Emeritus of Bangalore (India) and Protodeacon Emeritus of the College of Cardinals at the age of 90
Cardinal Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy, Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria delle Grazie alle Fornaci fuori Porta Cavalleggeri has passed away on last Monday, 2 June 2014 at the age of 90. He was the Metropolitan Archbishop of Bangalore, one of the large Archdioceses in India, from 1968 to 1971, and then was for a very long time, the member of the Roman Curia, as the Secretary of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith from 1973 to 1985, and then as Prefect for the Congregation for Oriental Churches from 1985 to 1991, and eventually as the Protodeacon of the College of Cardinals from 1993 to 1996.
http://www.gcatholic.org/hierarchy/data/cardJP2-3.htm#88%5B/embed%5D
Cardinal Lourdusamy was created Cardinal in 1985 by Pope St. John Paul II in his third Cardinal creation consistory on 25 May 1985. His motto was Aedificare Domum Dei, which means “To build the house of God”. This means an emphasis on the evangelisation to the people of God, to establish His Church, which is growing rapidly in India, as millions grow to know about the Lord and wanting to join the faith in Jesus.
We pray for Cardinal Lourdusamy, that he will rest in peace, and God will reward him for all his hard and great work as the long time servant of God as the shepherd of the faithful in Bangalore, as well as for all the ministries and good works he had done in Rome for the sake of God and His people in the entire Universal Church. May the Lord welcome him into His embrace in heaven and give him eternal rest and happiness that he deserved.
With the passing of Cardinal Lourdusamy, the College of Cardinals now stands at 214 members, with 118 Cardinal-electors and 96 Cardinal non-electors. The number of Cardinal-electors now is two below the specified maximum limit.
There are now 2 Cardinal-elector vacancy in the College of Cardinals, 0 vacant Cardinal Suburbicarian Sees (for Cardinal Bishops), 2 vacant Cardinal Title (for Cardinal Priests) and 7 vacant Cardinal Deaconries (for Cardinal Deacons).
Passing of Cardinal Marco Ce, Cardinal-Patriarch Emeritus of Venice (Italy) at the age of 88
Cardinal Marco Ce, Cardinal-Priest of S. Marco has passed away on Monday, 12 April 2014 at the age of 88. He was the Patriarch of Venice, one of the most preeminent diocese in the world, from 1978 to 2002, and was succeeded in his position by Cardinal Angelo Scola, the likely future successor to the throne of St. Peter.
http://www.gcatholic.org/hierarchy/data/cardJP2-1.htm#31
Cardinal Ce was created Cardinal in 1979 by Pope St. John Paul II in his first Cardinal creation consistory on 30 June 1979. His motto was Christus Ipse Pax, which means “The peace of Christ”. This means an emphasis on proclaiming the peace of Christ, which He proclaimed Himself after His resurrection to be with us.
We pray for Cardinal Ce, that he will rest in peace, and God will reward him for all his hard and great work as the long time servant of God as the shepherd of the faithful in Venice, for all the ministries and good works he had done there for the sake of God and His people. May the Lord welcome him into His embrace in heaven and give him eternal rest and happiness that he deserved.
With the passing of Cardinal Ce, the College of Cardinals now stands at 215 members, with 119 Cardinal-electors and 96 Cardinal non-electors. The number of Cardinal-electors now is just at the specified maximum limit.
There are now 0 Cardinal-elector vacancy in the College of Cardinals, 0 vacant Cardinal Suburbicarian Sees (for Cardinal Bishops), 2 vacant Cardinal Title (for Cardinal Priests) and 6 vacant Cardinal Deaconries (for Cardinal Deacons).

















