The remains of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI lay in state till 'simple' funeral on Thursday

The body of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI will lay in state beginning Monday so that the faithful can pay their respects.

Normally, the death of a Roman Catholic pope puts in motion time-honoured rituals, but Benedicts's death raised the question of whether someone who had handed up the papacy should be treated as such.

The German Pope is the only pontiff to abandon the papal throne since the Middle Ages.

Meaning, unlike past popes, there is no need to convene a conclave to pick a new pontiff because Pope Francis, who was chosen to succeed Benedict in 2013, stays very much in post. 

According to norms established in 1996, now the former pope must be buried between four and six days following his death.

For the first time in modern history, an incumbent pope will preside over his predecessor's funeral on Thursday, with Pope Francis leading a " solemn but modest " service for Benedict XVI, as the former Pope requested.

The funeral of Pope John Paul II was held on 8 April 2005, six days after his death on 2 April

In 2005 the body of John Paul II, the last pope to die, was also laid in state before a funeral mass in St Peter's Square presided over by Ratzinger, then a senior cardinal.

An estimated one million people attended, alongside heads of state from around the world.

Benedict, a conservative intellectual, was not as popular as John Paul II, who was pope between 1978 and 2005, but his funeral is still likely to draw large crowds and dignitaries.

Photo: Vatican Media

As per his request, Benedict will then be buried in the crypt of St Peter's, at the old grave of John Paul II. 

The beloved Polish pope was beatified in 2011, his corpse was transported to the basilica's top level and in 2014, he was declared a saint.

The ex-pope's funeral will take place in St Peter's Square, the vast square in front of the basilica, on Thursday at 9:30 am.