Vatican opens Benedict XVI tomb to public

The tomb of the recently deceased Pope Benedict XVI has been descended into the grottoes under St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican and is open for the public to visit.

As the pontiff was buried on January 5 immediately following a funeral in St. Peter’s Square. 

The Vatican announced on January 7 that the public could visit the tomb starting Sunday morning, as published on their website.

Caliber.Az recalls, that Benedict had lived since 2013 as pope emeritus, following his retirement from the papacy, the first pontiff to do so in 600 years. He died on December 31 at the age of 95, in the Vatican monastery where he spent his last years.

His remains were placed in the former tomb of Benedict’s predecessor, St. John Paul II. John Paul’s remains were moved up to a chapel on the main floor of the basilica following his 2011 beatification.

Some 50,000 people attended Benedict’s funeral, following three days of the body’s lying in state in the basilica, an event which drew nearly 200,000 viewers.