Pope takes part in mass for Czech cardinal Špidlík in Rome

A special mass was held at the Vatican on Tuesday morning in honour of the Czech-born cardinal and Jesuit theologian Tomáš Špidlík, who died in Rome on Friday at the age of 90. Pope Benedict XV1 was among the officiators at the ceremony, which was also attended by representatives of the Czech Republic. Cardinal Špidlík’s remains will be placed in the crypt of St Wenceslas Cathedral in Olomouc on Wednesday, before burial at the nearby Velehrad, a popular pilgrimage destination for Czech Roman Catholics.