Cardinal Dolan reflects on life and legacy of Pope Benedict ahead of funeral mass
NEW YORK -- Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's body is lying in state for a final day before his funeral mass Thursday.
More than 100,000 people have lined up outside St. Peter's Basilica to say their goodbyes.
Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who was appointed by the former pope, is also in Vatican City to pay his respects.
He joined CBS News New York by Zoom, saying Pope Benedict was an influential voice at the Vatican long before his papacy began.
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"He was such an influential, towering figure, because of his intellectual wattage. Heck, when I was 22 years old and a seminarian here, we were reading his books," Dolan said. "He was a priest back then, and he was already renowned. Then of course, when he became pope, the world got to see that radiant scholarship."
Pope Benedict died last Saturday at the age of 95. He was the first pope to resign in 600 years.
Pope Benedict's funeral is scheduled for Thursday at 9:30 a.m. Central European Standard Time; that's 3:30 a.m. in New York. Look for complete coverage on CBS2 and streaming on CBS News New York.