People pause in front of St' Peter's Basilica at The Vatican, Dec. 31, 2022.Andrew Medichini/The Associated Press Hours after the death Saturday of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Pope Francis praised his “noble” predecessor and expressed gratitude for his life of faith and prayers, especially those offered in the nearly 10 years since the shy churchman dramatically became the first pontiff in centuries to retire from the papacy. In his first public comments about Benedict since the Vatican announced his midmorning death in the monastery where the former pontiff lived out his last years, Francis spoke of his feelings over the...