The bells tolled, the organ played, and the congregation of 50,000 Romans and pilgrims applauded warmly as pallbearers brought the casket of Pope Benedict XVI onto the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica.

A Reflection for Thursday before Epiphany, by Jill Rice

A timeline of significant events in the life of Pope Benedict XVI.

The death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has deprived the church of a dedicated pastor whose papal witness stands as a model of grace and humility for his successors.

Pope Francis will preside at the requiem Mass and impart the final blessing before the burial of Benedict XVI at a solemn ceremony marked by simplicity in St. Peter’s Square on the morning of Jan. 5.

“Benedict XVI did theology on his knees,” the pope wrote in the book’s introduction. “His explanation of the faith was carried out with the devotion of a man who has surrendered all of himself to God.”