Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI arriving in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican to attend the beatification ceremony of Pope Paul VI, on October 19, 2014 (Picture: AP)
Former head of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI, has died at the age of 95.
Reports about the deterioration in the ex-pontiff’s health sent shockwaves across the world this week.
On Wednesday, Pope Francis called on believers to pray for his predecessor, who resigned from the post nine years ago.
Cardinals across the world, including Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, had also urged people to join them in prayers in these difficult hours.
Benedict became the first pope in 600 years to resign in 2013 citing his ‘advanced age’.
But in 2020, the Vatican confirmed he had suffered from a ‘painful but not serious condition’.
Pope Francis (right) greeting Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI following a consistory to create 13 new cardinals, on November 28, 2020 (Picture: AFP)
Benedict greets the crowd gathered in St Mark’s Square in Venice on May 7, 2011 (Picture: Getty Images)
Vatican spokesperson, Matteo Bruni, had issued a statement on Thursday morning confirming Benedict’s condition had worsened ‘in the last few hours’ due to his ‘advancing age’.
But he had said it was ‘under control’ and that it was being monitored by doctors.
Benedict died at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican City, where he had been living for the past decade.
It is yet unclear when his funeral will be held and what the ceremony would look like.
More: News
Tens of thousands of people are expected to travel to Rome and then the Vatican to pay their respects, particularly from his native Germany.
Questions about what would happen when Benedict dies had already been raised, given the unprecedented reality of having a reigning pope presumably presiding over the funeral of a former pope.
Most Vatican experts expect any funeral would resemble that for a retired bishop of Rome, albeit with the caveat that there would be official delegations to honour a former head of state.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Pope Benedict became the first Pope in 600 years to resign in 2013 citing his ‘advanced age’.
