Former Pope Benedict dies aged 95 in Vatican monastery - Reuters

VATICAN CITY, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Former Pope Benedict, who successful 2013 became the archetypal pontiff successful 600 years to resign, died connected Saturday aged 95 successful a secluded monastery successful the Vatican wherever helium had lived since stepping down, a spokesperson for the Holy See said.

The Vatican said his assemblage would prevarication successful authorities from Monday successful St.Peter's Basilica. The Vatican has painstakingly elaborate rituals for what happens aft a reigning pope dies but nary publically known ones for a erstwhile pope.

"With sorrow I pass you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed distant contiguous astatine 9:34 successful the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery successful the Vatican," spokesperson Matteo Bruni said successful a statement.

Earlier this week, Pope Francis disclosed during his play wide assemblage that his predecessor was "very sick", and asked for radical to commune for him.

For astir 25 years, arsenic Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Benedict was the almighty caput of the Vatican's doctrinal office, past known arsenic the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF).

He was elected pope connected April 19, 2005 to win the wide fashionable Pope John Paul II, who reigned for 27 years. Cardinals chose him from among their fig seeking continuity and what 1 called "a harmless brace of hands".

The archetypal German pope successful 1,000 years, Benedict himself acknowledged that helium was a anemic administrator, saying helium showed a "lack of resoluteness successful governing and determination taking," during his eight-year papacy which was marked by missteps and a leaks scandal.

Child maltreatment scandals hounded astir of his papacy but helium is credited with jump-starting the process to subject oregon defrock predator priests aft a much lax cognition nether his predecessor.

After his resignation, conservatives successful the Church looked to the erstwhile pope arsenic their modular bearer and immoderate ultra-traditionalists adjacent refused to admit Francis arsenic a morganatic pontiff.

They person criticised Francis for his much welcoming attack to members of the LGBTQ+ assemblage and to Catholics who divorced and remarried extracurricular the Church, saying some were undermining accepted values.

Reporting by Angelo Amante and Crispian Balmer; Editing by Alison Williams, Frances Kerry and Andrew Heavens

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