December 31, (THEWILL) – Former pope Benedict XVI has died in Vatican City, at the age of 95 following a period of ill health.
“With sorrow, I inform you that the Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, passed away on Saturday morning, in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican,” Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, said in a statement.
Pope Francis, on Wednesday, said that the former pontiff’s health had steadily been deteriorating, and was “very ill” and called on the faithful to pray for him.
For nearly 25 years, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Benedict was the powerful head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office, then known as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF).
He stunned the Catholic faithful on February 11, 2013, when he announced plans to step down from his position as Pope, citing his “advanced age.”
In his farewell address, Pope Benedict XVI had promised to stay “hidden” from the world, but he continued to speak out on religious matters in the years following his retirement, contributing to tensions within the Catholic Church.
