Thousands Mourn Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Transcript

Tonight, the body of Pope Benedict XVI lying in state in St. Peter’s Basilica. An estimated 65,000 people filed through today to say their final goodbyes.

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Over the weekend, Pope Francis paid tribute to his predecessor, calling him so noble, so kind. The two men held wildly different worldviews and visions of the church. Born Joseph Ratzinger in 1927, he was the first German pope in more than a thousand years, a theologian, a strict conservative who put hot button political issues at the center of his papacy, opposing same sex marriage and women priests. Critics accuse him of not doing enough in the church’s sex abuse scandal. But today, those waiting in line remembered him personally.

He remains a fundamental person for my life, and it’s important for me to be here in Rome. It is like when a father dies, his sons go to him.

Felippo Toso took an overnight train from Venice to Rome this morning to be one of the first. How was it?

Amazing. It was not important to see, but to be and to be here.

[inaudible 00:01:15], an American Catholic living and working in Rome had the rare chance to visit Pope Benedict lying in rest at his convent home on Sunday.

I’ve been bringing people to Rome for 20 years. It was the highlight of all my time in Rome.

History will remember Benedict as a traditionalist who bucked centuries of tradition, retiring in 2013, a radical precedent that will define the future of the Vatican.

Molly joining us now from the Vatican. Molly, what are we learning this evening about former Pope Benedict’s funeral arrangements?

Now we understand that Pope Francis will preside over the funeral mass on Thursday morning just behind me in St. Peter’s Square and Lester, we are also learning tonight where Benedict will be buried, in the same Vatican vault under St. Peter’s Basilica as Pope John Paul II.