Former Pope Benedict XVI has died aged 95, nearly ten years after he stepped down as the head of the Catholic Church.
The Vatican announced the former pope’s death on Saturday.
“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.
“Further information will be provided as soon as possible,” it said in a terse statement.
Born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger on April 16, 1927, the German Pope Emeritus led the church from April 19, 2005, when he succeeded Pope John Paul II, until his resignation on February 28, 2013.
At his resignation due to ill-health, Pope Benedict XVI chose the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery as his residence, and enjoyed regular visits from his successor, Pope Francis.
On Wednesday, Pope Francis appealed to his final audience of the year at the Vatican to “pray a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict”.
The Pope Emeritus died three days later.
Matteo Bruni, the Director of Holy See Press Office said, “As of Monday morning, 2 January 2023, the body of the Pope Emeritus [Benedict XVI] will be in Saint Peter’s Basilica so the faithful can bid farewell.”
Andrea Tornielli, Editorial Director for the Vatican Dicastery for Communication said that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI never ceased to call for conversion, penance and humility, offering an image of the Church freed from material and political privileges in order to be truly open to the world.
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