Almost a decade after he quit Nuncio roles due to ailing health, Former Pope Benedict XVI has died at his Vatican residence in Rome, Europe at the age of 95.
He led the Catholic Church for less than eight years until in 2013 when he became the first Pope to resign after Gregory XII in 1415.
Benedict spent his final years at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery within the walls of the Vatican city.
Confirming his death, the Vatican in a statement on Saturday said that: "With sorrow, I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican".
The Vatican revealed that further information would be provided as soon as possible.
It was also revealed that the body of the Pope Emeritus would be placed in St. Peter’s Basilica from Monday for 'the greeting of the faithful'.
The Vatican noted that plans for Pope Benedict’s funeral would be announced in the next few hours.
His successor, Pope Francis said that he had visited him frequently.
But on Wednesday, December 28, 2022, Pope Francis appealed to his final audience of the year at the Vatican to pray specially for Pope Emeritus Benedict, saying that he was very ill.
Briefly
Born Joseph Ratzinger in Germany on 16th April 1927, Benedict was 78 years in 2005 when he became one of the oldest popes ever elected.
He was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19th April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013.
Benedict XVI was elected as the Pope in 2005 papal conclave, following the death of Pope John Paul II.
He chose to be called Pope Emeritus after his resignation.
During his papacy, the Catholic Church faced allegations, legal claims and official reports into decades of child abuse by priests.
Earlier this year, the former Pope acknowledged that errors had been made in the handling of abuse cases while he was the Archbishop of Munich between 1977 and 1982.
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