• Benedict XVI was the first pope in 600 years to resign.
• As many as 1.1 million people attended John Paul II’s funeral at St. Peter’s Square.
• Pope Francis presides over first funeral of a pontiff who had resigned.

Tens of thousands of mourners attended the funeral of former Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday, during which Pope Francis paid tribute to him.

It was the first time a pontiff had presided over a funeral of his predecessor in modern times, and the first time a pontiff had ever presided over the funeral of a pontiff who had resigned.

On December 31, at the age of 95, at a monastery in Vatican City, Benedict passed away. He was the first pope in nearly 600 years to resign from his post rather than hold it for life.

It was a straightforward event, as the last pope had requested. Father James Martin, a Jesuit priest, author, and editor, said on a reupdated media out “It’s impossible to have a simple ceremony in St. Peter’s Square, but I think it was.”

“You have to have some pomp and ceremony for a former pope, but I think within the guidelines of what Pope Emeritus Benedict wanted, it succeeded very well.”

According to Matteo Bruni, a spokesman for the Vatican, just 50,000 people showed up for the funeral in St. Peter’s Square, as opposed to an estimated 1.1 million during Pope John Paul II’s funeral.

In St. Peter’s Square and the surrounding region, there were 500,000 spectators in 2005, while another 600,000 watched on televisions in other areas of Rome.

The memorial service for Pope John Paul II featured the biggest gathering of world leaders outside of the UN. Nine monarchs and 70 presidents and prime ministers were represented by delegations.

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