Pope Francis, centre, attends a funeral mass next to the coffin of late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023. [AP Photo]
Pope Francis joined tens of thousands of faithful in bidding farewell to Benedict XVI at a rare requiem Mass Thursday for a dead pope presided over by a living one, ending an unprecedented decade for the Catholic Church that was sparked by the German theologian's decision to retire.