The Vatican’s spokesman, Matteo Bruni, said in a statement that Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI passed away on Saturday.
Benedict the Great was 95 years old. His health had suddenly deteriorated as a result of getting older.
Birth
Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, the future pope emeritus Benedict XVI, was born on April 16, 1927, in Marktl, a town in southeast Germany, not far from the Austrian border. His early years were shaped by his beliefs and by World War II.
worked for the German military
He was conscripted into the German army in 1943 while still a seminarian. Ratzinger participated in an anti-aircraft unit for two years. Later, after he had deserted, the US troops had captured him.
Religious ordination
On June 29, 1951, Cardinal Michael von Faulhaber of Munich performed the ordination of Ratzinger in Freising.
Papacy
At the age of 78, Benedict XVI was chosen as the 265th pope. Since Pope Clement XII, he was the oldest candidate to be elected pope (1730–1740).
naming scheme
Ratzinger named himself Pope Benedict, which is a Latin term that means “the blessed,” in honor of Benedict XV and Benedict of Nursia.
Resignation
Due to his elderly age, Pope Benedict announced his resignation as head of the Roman Catholic Church on February 28, 2013, making him the first pope to do so since Gregory XII in 1415.
