The death of Pope Benedict removes a problem for liberal Catholics
But the battle over the church’s future goes on
THE MOON was high over the avenue that stretches away from St Peter’s, yet a stream of visitors was still issuing from the great basilica. Inside, the body of Pope Benedict XVI was laid out for people to pay their respects before his funeral on January 5th. Vatican officials were reportedly taken aback by the size of the crowds. On the first day, January 2nd, visitors had to queue for three hours. By the next evening, they were still waiting for 40 minutes.
From the January 7th 2023 edition
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