Pope prays for past Pontiffs in Vatican’s crypt

(Nov.03, 2009): Pope Benedict XVI on Monday evening made a visit to the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica and prayed for past Popes and all the deceased. Vatican’s Press Office said the Pope made his brief visit at 6 p.m., stopping for a moment of private recollection, which has become a custom in commemoration of the faithful departed. The universal Church celebrates All Souls' Day on Nov. 2. According to Vatican’s communiqué, the Holy Father prayed "for the eternal rest of the pontiffs buried there and for all the deceased."
Several Popes are buried beneath St. Peter's, including Benedict XV, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, and of course, St. Peter. The tomb of late Pope John Paul II is the one most visited. His remains rest where Blessed Pope John XXIII was buried for 30 years. Shortly after his beatification, the remains of Pope John XXIII were moved in the Basilica to St. Jerome's altar to enable a greater number of faithful to visit it. Next to Pope Paul VI's tomb is the place that archeologists identify as the site of the Apostle St. Peter's tomb. It rests precisely under the basilica's main altar.
Earlier in his Sunday Angelus message, Pope Benedict XVI reflecting on the commemoration of All Souls Day, and the tradition of visiting cemeteries to pray for the dear departed, told the faithful to remember that there, in the tombs, only the mortal remains of the our loved ones rest, while awaiting the final resurrection, hence the most appropriate way to honour them is to pray for them. By praying for the dead, said the Pope, one can experience the most profound communion with the faithful departed.