Pope Benedict XVI has died at his residence in The Vatican. The Former Pope was born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger on 16 April 1927 and died on 31 December 2022. He was 95 years old.
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Why did Pope Benedict XVI resign? Pope Benedict was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013 due to ailing health, becoming the first Pope to resign in over 600 years.
His death comes nearly ten years after his resignation.
Image Credit: DW.com
Following his demise, The Vatican said in a statement:
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“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.”
The Vatican further said the body of the Pope Emeritus will be placed in St Peter’s Basilica from 2 January for “the greeting of the faithful”.
Prior to becoming pope, he was “a major figure on the Vatican stage for a quarter of a century” as he had an influence “second to none when it came to setting church priorities and directions” as one of John Paul II’s closest confidants.
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