Posted by 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. He was the oldest person to have been elected pope since Pope Clement XII (1730–1740).
Choice of name
Ratzinger chose “Benedict” as his pontifical name, which comes from the Latin word meaning “the blessed”, in honour of both Benedict XV and Benedict of Nursia.
Resignation
Pope Benedict announced his resignation as the Roman Catholic Church leader on February 28, 2013, as a result of his advanced age, becoming the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415.