Former Pope Benedict XVI dies age 95 - CNN

CNN  — 

Benedict XVI, the Pope Emeritus, has died successful Vatican City astatine the property of 95 pursuing a play of sick health.

Benedict, who was the archetypal pontiff successful astir 600 years to resign his position, alternatively than clasp bureau for life, passed distant connected Saturday, according to a connection from the Vatican.

“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,” the Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Matteo Bruni said.

“Further accusation volition beryllium provided arsenic soon arsenic possible.”

News of his decease came days aft Pope Francis asked the faithful to commune for Benedict, saying helium was “very sick.”

“I privation to inquire you each for a peculiar supplication for Pope Emeritus Benedict who sustains the Church successful his silence. He is precise sick. We inquire the Lord to console and prolong him successful this witnesser of emotion for the Church to the precise end,” Francis said astatine his wide assemblage connected Wednesday.

His wellness had been successful diminution for immoderate time.

Benedict stunned the Catholic faithful and spiritual experts astir the satellite connected February 11, 2013, erstwhile helium announced plans to measurement down from his presumption arsenic Pope, citing his “advanced age.”

In his farewell address, the outgoing pope promised to enactment “hidden” from the world, but helium continued to talk retired connected spiritual matters successful the years pursuing his retirement, contributing to tensions wrong the Catholic Church.

Benedict was a almighty unit successful the Catholic Church for decades.

Born Joseph Ratzinger successful Germany successful 1927, helium was the lad of a policeman. He was ordained arsenic a clergyman successful 1951, made a cardinal successful 1977, and aboriginal served arsenic main theological advisor to Pope John Paul II.

One of his astir important steps up came successful 1981 erstwhile helium took implicit arsenic caput of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, the Vatican bureau that oversees “the doctrine connected the religion and morals passim the Catholic world,” according to the Vatican.

Ratzinger became known arsenic “Cardinal No” stemming from his efforts to ace down connected the liberation theology movement, spiritual pluralism, challenges to accepted teachings connected issues specified arsenic homosexuality, and calls to ordain women arsenic priests.

He was elected pope successful April 2005, pursuing John Paul II’s death.

He was known to beryllium much blimpish than his successor, Pope Francis, who has made moves to soften the Vatican’s presumption connected termination and homosexuality, arsenic good arsenic doing much to woody with the intersexual maltreatment situation that has engulfed the religion successful caller years and clouded Benedict’s legacy.

In April 2019, Benedict discussed the enactment maltreatment situation successful a nationalist letter, claiming that it was caused successful portion by the intersexual gyration of the 1960s and the liberalization of the church’s motivation teachings.

In January 2020, Benedict was forced to region himself from a publication wide seen arsenic undercutting Francis arsenic helium considered whether oregon not to let joined men to go priests successful definite cases. The book, “From the Depths of Our Hearts,” argued successful favour of the centuries-old contented of priestly celibacy wrong the Catholic Church. Benedict was primitively listed arsenic co-author, but aboriginal clarified that helium had lone contributed 1 conception of the text.

A twelvemonth later, Benedict came nether occurrence implicit his clip arsenic archbishop of Munich and Freising, betwixt 1977 and 1982, pursuing the work of a Church-commissioned study into maltreatment by Catholic clergy there.

The study recovered that portion successful the station helium had been informed of 4 cases of intersexual maltreatment involving minors – including 2 that had occurred during his clip successful bureau – but failed to act. It besides revealed Benedict had attended a gathering astir an abuser identified arsenic Priest X. Following the report’s publication, Benedict pushed backmost against accusations that helium knew successful 1980 that this clergyman was an abuser.

In a missive released by the Vatican amid the furor, Benedict wrote that helium was “of bully cheer” arsenic helium faced “the last justice of my life,” contempt his shortcomings. He besides issued a wide apology to survivors of abuse.