Biden says his 'entourage' is too big to attend Benedict's funeral

President Joe Biden told a reporter 'you know why' Wednesday when he was asked why he wouldn't be attending the late Pope Benedict's funeral on Thursday. 

'Well why do you think? You tell me,' the president responded on the South Lawn when asked why the White House was sending an ambassador to the memorial and not him. 'The reason why I'm not attending the funeral tomorrow is because it takes an entourage of 1,000 people, not literally, but we would move everything in the wrong direction,' Biden then answered. 

Benedict, who died Saturday at the age 95 as the Pope Emeritus after giving up the role of Pope in 2013, said he had wanted a 'simple' funeral. 

'The express request on the part of the emeritus pope is that everything be simple, both with regard to the funeral as well as the other celebrations and gestures during this time of pain,' Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said, according to the Catholic News Agency. 

President Joe Biden told a reporter 'you know why' Wednesday when he was asked why he wouldn't be attending the late Pope Benedict's funeral on Thursday

The body of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI lies in state at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Wednesday 

The Vatican confirmed Monday that only two state delegations, Germany and Italy, were invited to the Thursday affair. 

Pope Benedict XVI was born in Germany and lived in Italy for more than 40 years. 

Biden said Wednesday that he 'inquired about it,' but that other countries were sending their apostolic delegates or ambassadors based in Rome. 

'That's what we're going to do,' he acknowledged. 

At Tuesday's press briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, Joe Donnelly, would represent the United States. 

'We would just get in the way, but I've made my views known,' Biden continued. 'Any rate, I think he was a fine man.' 

When Biden traveled to Rome and the Vatican City to meet with Pope Francis and G20 leaders in October 2021 he traveled around in a motorcade consisting of 85 vehicles. 

President Joe Biden (right) recalled his 2011 meeting with Pope Benedict (left) in a statement Saturday expressing his condolences and on the South Lawn Wednesday 

Masses in remembrance of Pope Emeritus Benedict are being held around the world. Here a service is captured taking place Wednesday in Hong Kong 

The length was in part due to COVID restrictions, which allowed fewer individuals to ride in each car.    

Biden met with Pope Benedict in Vatican City in 2011 for an unannounced visit while serving as vice president. 

At the time, the Pope chose not to make an example of Biden - the country's first Catholic vice president - over his support of abortion rights, which is contrary to the church's teachings. 

Biden recalled their meeting in a statement sent out Saturday. 

'I had the privilege of spending time with Pope Benedict at the Vatican in 2011 and will always remember his generosity and welcome as well as our meaningful conversation,' he said then.  

Biden is only the second Catholic president of the United States.  

On the South Lawn, Biden recalled his visit with Benedict saying it reminded him 'of going back to theology class,' saying they spoke about the Summa Theologica by Thomas Aquinas. 

'I found him to be relaxing, very rational and he was a more conservative view in the Catholic realm than I have. I'm closer to the Pope, the present Pope, in terms of philosophy, his view,' Biden added. 'But I admired him. I thought he was a fine man.'