Queen Sofía has held a gathering with Pope Francis, on the event of his attendance on the funeral mass for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, which was held this Thursday. The Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, who has attended the official acts of the Vatican along with Doña Sofía, has described the assembly between the emeritus queen and the Pope as very affectionate”.
“He has been very affectionate with Queen Sofía, he is generally with Spain, and he has proven it once more with this greeting earlier than starting the funeral,” Bolaños assured this Thursday in an interview with La Sexta, wherein he highlighted In addition, it’s “an honor” that Queen Sofía, who “has obtained a number of gestures of affection within the Vatican”, has led the Spanish delegation in the course of the funeral of Benedict XVI.
In entrance of Ratzinger’s catafalque
Doña Sofía arrived in Rome this Wednesday and, along with the Minister of the Presidency Félix Bolaños and the Spanish ambassador to the Holy See, Isabel Celaá, went to Saint Peter’s Basilica to pay homage to the pope emeritus, exhibited earlier than the trustworthy, within the funeral eve.
Upon arrival on the basilica, at 6:00 p.m., the official entourage expressed their condolences to Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, who for 25 years was Joseph Ratzinger’s private secretary.
The Queen, the minister and the ambassador remained for about fifteen minutes in entrance of the catafalque that homes the Pope emeritus, who died on December 31 on the age of 95.
After a couple of minutes in silence, they listened to a short response, officiated by Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, vicar of the Pope for Vatican City and archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Subsequently, Queen Sofía, Félix Bolaños and Isabel Celaá went to the Spanish Embassy earlier than the Holy See, the place they held a gathering and a dinner with the bishops and cardinals current in Rome for the funeral of Benedict XVI.
Other prelates included the President, Vice President and General Secretary of the EEC, Cardinal Omella, the Cardinal Archbishop of Madrid, Carlos Osoro, and the Auxiliary Bishop of Toledo, César García Magán, respectively, and different prelates equivalent to Cardinal Archbishop Emeritus of Madrid, Antonio María Rouco Varela, or Cardinal Archbishop Emeritus of Valencia, Antonio Cañizares.