Former Pope Benedict XVI passes away at the age of 95
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Vatican City: Former Pope Benedict XVI died at his Vatican residence at the age of 95. He stepped down from the supreme position of the Catholic Church a decade ago due to his ailing health.
The Vatican in a statement said: "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." His body will be placed in St Peter's Basilica from January 2 for "the greeting of the faithful." Further information about his funeral will be announced in the next few hours.
He led the Church for nearly eight years until 2013. He is only the second Pope to resign after Gregory XII in 1415. He has been spending his final years at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery in the Vatican. His successor Pope Francis told BBC that he has visited Pope Emeritus frequently.
The Holy See, the church jurisdiction, said the former pontiff's condition has been deteriorating due to advancing age. On Wednesday, Pope Francis appealed to his audience that they pray a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict.
The eight years of his papacy were plagued by legal claims and widespread allegations of Church mishandling child abuse by priests. Earlier this year, he acknowledged the errors made between 1977 and 1982 when he was the archbishop of Munich and mishandled cases of abuse.