Pope Benedict XVI has died, during his retirement at the Vatican at the 96th year of his life, reports press-service of the Hole See.
Benedict XVI passed away on the morning of December 31, 2022 at the age of 95 at his residence in the Vatican Monastery.
Farewell to him will begin on January 2 in St. Peter's Cathedral. The funeral will be held on January 5, and Pope Francis will take part in it.
Benedict XVI (in the world of Joseph Alois Ratzinger) He was elected to the papal throne at the age of 77 in 2005.He became the oldest by age at the time of his election as Pope since Pope Clement XII, and also the second, after John Paul II, pope of non-Italian origin.
After 7 years, at the beginning of 2013, he abdicated, citing his health condition as the reason for his decision.
After abdicating the throne, Benedict XVI decided to lead an isolated lifestyle, not participate in the management of the church and devote his time entirely to prayer and reflection. After his abdication, he lived in a monastery in the Vatican Gardens, and the church was headed by the Argentine Jorge Bergoglio, who took the name Francis.