Pope Benedict XVI who became the Pastor of the Catholic Church in the World passed away at the age of 95.
Pope Benedict XVI died in his residence at Mater Ecclesiae in the Vatican after a period of ill health due to old age.
The news of the death of Pope Benedict XVI was announced this Friday, December 31, 2022.
A statement from the Vatican said that “it is with great sadness that we inform you that Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 a.m. in the Mater Ecclesiae Palace in the Vatican.”
“Further information will be announced soon,” it added.
The Vatican has announced that the body of Pope Benedict XVI will be placed in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on January 2, 2023, for Christians to “repose him.”
He went on to say that the time of his burial will be announced in a few hours.
Although Benedict XVI had been ill for some time, Pope Francis said his illness was aggravated by old age.
The head of the Catholic Church in the world, Pope Francis, on Wednesday, during the year-end prayer held at the Vatican, asked Christians to pray for Pope Benedict XVI, who replaced him, saying that he is ill.
It was on December 28, 2022, that Pope Francis announced that the 95-year-old Benedict XVI is ill, but he did not provide detailed information about his illness.
At that time, he said: “I want to ask you all to pray to Pope Benedict for the Church in a special way. Let’s remember him, he is very sick. We ask God to keep him so that he can see the love of the Church until the end.”
Benedict XVI is commonly known as Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger. He was born in Marktl, Germany on April 16, 1927.
He was appointed Pope on April 19, 2005, but resigned on February 28, 2013, from the position of Pastor of the Catholic Church in the World due to health reasons.
A resignation like the last time it happened 600 years ago. It was last done by Gregory XII in 1415.
