An eloquent prayer dedicated to the devotion of the Magi written by the English Catholic and literary great Evelyn Waugh

The dome of St Peter’s was shrouded in mist for the funeral of Pope Benedict, with the cupola and the cross disappearing behind the figures of the apostles that surmount the facade. It was an extraordinary crowd gathered in the freezing cold. There were many Germans, many Italians and people from everywhere else you could think of.

Ahead of Pope Benedict’s solemn funeral on Thursday, 5 January, the Catholic Herald discussed these and other questions with Father Roberto Regoli, an Italian priest and Professor of Contemporary History at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he directs the Department of Church History. A specialist in the history of the papacy, the Roman Curia and papal diplomacy for the 19th and 20th centuries, Fr Regoli is author of Beyond the crisis of the Church: the Pontificate of Benedict XVI. In this interview, we also discuss the lasting impact of Benedict XVI’s 2006 Regensburg Address, his deep friendship with St John Paul II and the suggestion that Pope Benedict could one day be declared a Doctor of the Church.