Armenian Church delegation to attend funeral of Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican

YEREVAN, JANUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. A delegation of the Armenian Apostolic Church will attend the funeral of formerPope Benedict XVI in the Vatican, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiatsin said in a statement.

The funeral will take place in St Peter's Square on January 5, before the Pope Emeritus is laid to rest in the tombs beneath the Basilica.

The Armenian Church delegation includes the Pontifical Delegate to Western Europe and Official Representative of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiatsin in the Vatican Archbishop Khajak Parsamyan, the Primate of the Diocese of Tavush Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan and the Pontifical Delegate to Central Europe and Sweden Bishop Tiran Petrosyan.

FormerPope Benedict XVIdied on New Year's Eve at the age of 95, almost a decade after he stood down because of ill health.

Pope Francis will preside over Thursday's funeral - the first time a Pope will be buried by his successor.