The Novemdiales, nine days of official mourning, begin on the day of the funeral.

The entire Church mourns the death of our Emeritus Holy Father, Benedict XVI.  In cathedrals, basilicas, parish churches, shrines, and chapels the Holy Eucharist will be offered for the repose of his soul. Communities and individuals will ask God to bestow his infinite mercy on the man who served the Church as Bishop of Rome.

This novena has been prepared to help pray for the Holy Father during the next nine days.  The daily Novena consists of a short reading from scripture or some other ecclesiastical text and some brief prayers, including orations drawn from the Roman Missal and the Order of Christian Funerals as published by the Ordinariates.

This order is extracted from that prepared by the Ordinariate of the Chair of St Peter, reproduced in the UK by permission of the two ordinaries.

Day 8: Thursday 12 January 2023: Union of Pope and Bishops

✠ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

A Reading from the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, as promulgated by the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council:

This collegial union [of bishops] is apparent also in the mutual relations of the individual bishops with particular churches and with the universal Church. The Roman Pontiff, as the Successor of Peter, is the perpetual and visible principle and foundation of unity of both bishops and of the faithful. The individual bishops, however, are the visible principle and foundation of unity in their particular churches, fashioned after the model of the universal Church, in and from which churches comes into being the one and only Catholic Church. For this reason the individual bishops represent each his own church, but all of them together and with the Pope represent the entire Church in the bond of peace, love and unity. Lumen Gentium 23

Pause for silent prayer for our Holy Father.

Pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory be.

Rest eternal grant unto him, O Lord.
And let light perpetual shine upon him.

Almighty and merciful God, eternal Shepherd of thy people: grant, we beseech thee, that thy servant, Pope Benedict, to whom thou didst entrust the care of thy holy Church, may enter the joy of his eternal Master, there to receive the rich reward of his labours; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A requiem Mass for Pope Benedict will be sung at 7:00pm this evening at Christ the King Church, Langney.