Pope Benedict's Final Words Before His Death Revealed

Former pope Benedict XVI, who has died at the age of 95, pictured on May 15, 2009, in front of the Stone of Anointing at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City. AFP

KEY POINTS

A nurse heard the late Benedict's last words a few hours before his death
Pope Benedict XVI's funeral will be held on Thursday in St. Peter's Square, Vatican City
The Pope Emeritus asked for his funeral to be simple

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's secretary has revealed the late Pope's last words before passing: "Lord, I love you."

According to Joseph Ratzinger's longtime secretary Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, a nurse heard the 95-year-old's short statement at around 3 a.m., hours before he died on Saturday.

"Benedict XVI, with a faint voice but in a very distinct way, said in Italian, 'Lord, I love you,'" Gaenswein told the Vatican News on Sunday.

"I wasn't there in that moment, but the nurse a little later recounted it. They were his last comprehensible words, because afterwards, he wasn't able to express himself any more."

Pope Francis led tributes following Benedict XVI's death in a Vatican monastery, according to the Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Matteo Bruni.

"We are moved as we recall him as such a noble person, so kind, and we feel such gratitude in our hearts, gratitude to God for giving him to the church, and to the world," Francis said in Saint Peter's Basilica, as quoted by CNN.

"Gratitude to him for all the good he accomplished and above all for his witness of faith and prayer, especially in these last years of his life. Only God knows the value of his sacrifices for the good of the church."

The late pope's funeral will be held on Thursday in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican City at 9:30 a.m. local time, as announced by Bruni. Pope Francis will lead the funeral.

His coffin will be viewed for three days starting Monday. The Pope Emeritus specifically asked for his funeral to be simple like his life, Bruni said as he spoke with reporters on Saturday.

The Basilica will remain open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Before Benedict's death, Pope Francis publicly shared news about his predecessor's worsening health at the end of the last General Audience of 2022, inviting people to pray for him.

In 2013, Benedict announced his intention to resign, saying he no longer had the physical and mental strength to run the church. He later resided at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican with his secretary, Archbishop Georg Ganswein, and other aides and staff.