A day earlier, the German Pontiff told a crowd in St. Peter’s Square of his desire to follow the Christian tradition of visiting cemeteries to pray for deceased loved ones.
His intention was to recollect himself «in prayer in the Vatican Grottoes before the Popes’ tombs, which crown the sepulcher of the Apostle Peter, and to remember in particular the beloved John Paul II.»
For Benedict XVI this gesture was an «opportunity to think without fear about the mystery of death and cultivate that incessant vigilance that prepares us to face it with serenity.»
The Pontiff’s visit to John Paul II’s tomb, as reported by the Vatican press office, took place at 6 p.m. today and was of a private nature.
John Paul II died April 2. Some 20,000 people a day visit his tomb, according to news agencies.
