Tens of thousands attend funeral Mass for Benedict XVI in Vatican

Earlier, in front of many guests and tens of thousands of the faithful in St Peter's Square in Rome, Francis had said, 'We too, who are firmly attached to the Lord's last words and the witness that marked his life, wish as an ecclesial community to follow in his footsteps and entrust our brother to the Father's hands: May these hands of mercy find his lamp burning with the oil of the Gospel that he spread and witnessed during his life.' Tens of thousands of the faithful attended the funeral Mass for the late pope emeritus Benedict XVI in St Peter's Square in the Vatican on Thursday morning. Pope Francis made little direct reference to his predecessor in his sermon. He spoke on Thursday mainly about devotion to God and trust in the Lord. Earlier, in front of many guests and tens of thousands of the faithful in St Peter's Square in Rome, Francis had said, 'We too, who are firmly attached to the Lord's last words and the witness that marked his life, wish as an ecclesial community to follow in his footsteps and entrust our brother to the Father's hands: May these hands of mercy find his lamp burning with the oil of the Gospel that he spread and witnessed during his life.' The Pope had already praised Benedict's dedication to the faith in previous days.Around 130 cardinals were also in attendance, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said. Among them were the German Cardinals Reinhard Marx, Rainer Maria Woelki and Gerhard Ludwig Müller. There was an official German delegation present, including President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Markus Söder, premier of largely Catholic Bavaria, where Benedict was born as Joseph Ratzinger in 1927. Benedict had expressed the wish that people from his native Bavaria attend. He was born in the village of Marktl, near the border with Austria. In a touching moment, Georg Gänswein, the cleric who served as Benedict XVI's personal secretary and confidant during his papacy, bent over the coffin to kiss it after it was brought out onto St Peter's Square. Gänswein was perhaps the closest person to Benedict in his final years. He served as the pope's private secretary after Benedict's election in 2005 after previously working with him in Rome. He was appointed prefect of the pontifical household in December 2012 and raised to the rank of archbishop. 'On meeting him in person, one saw that he was not a diehard,' the 89-year-old cardinal - who served Benedict in the papal curia during his pontificate - told Bavarian television before participating in the funeral service on St Peter's Square. The late pope had been a 'friendly person full of hope,' Kasper said, relating how he had received a letter from Benedict dated October 10 - just weeks before his death. 'At the end, he was at peace with himself, with the church and with God,' Kasper said. Looking back on the 60 years he had known Joseph Ratzinger, Kasper said: 'Those were very good conversations and meetings, and I have to say, I miss them now. Perhaps we can continue them in heaven.'