– It is with sadness that I can inform you that former Pope Benedict XVI died today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae monastery in the Vatican, says a spokesperson for the Vatican in a statement. The former pope lived to be 95 years old, he was German by birth and had the civil name of Joseph Ratzinger. In 2013, Benedict became the first pope in over 600 years to voluntarily resign from the position of head of the Catholic Church. The reason at the time was poor health. The Vatican announced on 29 December that Benedict was very ill. On the same day, Pope Francis urged believers around the world to pray for the former pope. The Vatican confirmed later in the day that his health condition had deteriorated. He has lived in a monastery inside the Vatican’s fenced area where he has received medical attention and care. Today he died, aged 95. The case is updated.
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