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New pope, old pope meeting for lunch

The newly-elected Pope Francis is set to have lunch with his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict, in a first for the modern day Catholic Church, the BBC reports.

Pope Francis will be flown by helicopter to his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo for the private lunch.

Benedict has lived at the lakeside castle south of Rome since last month, when he became the first pope in 600 years to resign, citing ill health.

Cardinal Jorge Maria Bergoglio was elected to succeed him on 13 March.

There is no public record of any previous meeting between a Pope and a former Pope as usually a new head of the Catholic Church is only elected upon the death of his predecessor.

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