Pope Francis praises Benedict as Vatican prepares for funeral

A picture of former Pope Benedict is displayed outside St. Peter's Basilica, while faithful pay homage to former Pope Benedict as his body lies in state at the Basilica, at the Vatican January 4, 2023. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican on Wednesday served up a surreal moment in which a living pope spoke to some of the faithful in one part of the tiny city-state while others a short distance way were honouring a deceased former pontiff.

Pope Francis held his general audience in a large modern hall, a routine event for a Wednesday.