Former Pope Benedict XVI has passed away at the age of 95 at his apartment in the Vatican. His resignation as pope was due to his declining health over ten years ago.
He served as the leader of the Catholic Church for a little over seven years until resigning in 2013, making him the first Pope to do so since Gregory XII in 1415.
The last years of his life were spent at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery, which is inside the Vatican City State. His successor, Pope Francis, stated that he had visited him there on many occasions.
“With regret, I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican,” the Vatican said in a statement. “Additional details will be made available as quickly as they become available.”
The Vatican has announced that beginning on January 2, the remains of Pope Emeritus John Paul II would be brought to St. Peter’s Basilica for “the greeting of the faithful.”
The Vatican has stated that the arrangements for Pope Benedict’s burial will be made public within the next few hours.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who presides over the Catholic Church in England and Wales, referred to Pope Benedict as “one of the great thinkers of the 20th century” in one of his recent statements.
In a statement, he added, “I recall with great love the amazing Papal Visit to these regions in 2010.” (I remember the papal visit to these lands in 2010). We witnessed his politeness, his tenderness, the perceptiveness of his thinking, and the warmth of his welcome extended to each and every person he came in contact with.
“He was a gentleman through and through, a scholar through and through, a pastor through and through, and a man of God through and through. He was close to the Lord, and he was always his humble servant.”
“I am heartbroken to learn of the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI,” stated the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak.
“Pope Benedict XVI was a brilliant theologian, and his journey to the United Kingdom in 2010 was a momentous occasion for people of all faiths and no faiths across the entirety of our country.
Today, my thoughts are with Catholic people all throughout the world, including those in the United Kingdom.
In a statement, France’s President, Emmanuel Macron, said that his “thoughts go out to Catholics in France and around the world, who are mourning the departure of His Holiness Benedict XVI, who labored with passion and wisdom for a more fraternal world.”
What the passing of a previous Pope implies for Benedict XVI and the Catholic Church The Pope who abdicated his pontificate and resigned from his position.
Even though the previous pontiff had been ailing for some time, the Vatican officials declared that his condition had worsened because of his advanced age. This was despite the fact that he had been sick for some time.
Wednesday, at his final audience of the year at the Vatican, Pope Francis made a plea to his audience to “pray a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict,” whom he said was in extremely poor health.
Joseph Ratzinger was born in Germany, and Benedict became one of the oldest popes ever elected in the year 2005, when he was 78 years old.
During a significant portion of his pontificate, the Catholic Church was the subject of allegations, legal claims, and official reports about decades of child abuse committed by priests.
In the beginning of this year, the former Pope admitted that he had made mistakes in the way he handled sexual misconduct allegations while he was archbishop of Munich between the years 1977 and 1982.