Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned the papacy almost a decade ago, died on Saturday morning in his residence in the Vatican, the Holy See’s press office announced. He was 95.
“With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican,” the director of the Holy See press office, Matteo Bruni, said in a statement Saturday. He added that “further information will be provided as soon as possible.”
The ex-pontiff’s health had degraded in the last days related to his advanced age.
Pope Benedict XVI led the Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013, and was the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415.
Bruni said that Benedict received the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, often called the Last Rites, on Wednesday, after mass in the presence of the nuns who had been caring for him.
His funeral will take place on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. presided over by current Pope Francis.
Benedict XVI’s body will be in Saint Peter’s Basilica from Monday for prayer and a last farewell for the faithful, Bruni said at a press briefing.
Benedict’s papacy was marked by accusations and legal claims against the Catholic Church of child abuse by priests. Earlier this year, he admitted that he had provided false information during an investigation into sexual abuse when he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, archbishop of Munich, between 1977 and 1982. He said he was “very sorry for this mistake and ask[ed] to be excused.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement that “Benedict XVI was a giant of faith and reason. A man in love with the Lord who put his life at the service of the universal Church. … A Christian, a pastor, a theologian: a great figure that history will never forget.”
The mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, wrote on Twitter: “Enormous condolences for the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, a great theologian who with his teaching was able to accompany the Church into the contemporary world.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Benedict “had set a strong signal through his resignation. He saw himself first as a servant for God and his Church.”
Right wing politicians expressed their sorrow for the loss of the conservative pope.
Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani wrote on Facebook: “I will always carry in my heart his words in defense of the Christian roots of Europe, the continent which in its vision must aspire to be a spiritual home.”
The head of the conservative European People’s Party Manfred Weber also said he was “deeply saddened” to learn of the passing of Benedict, who was “a great European Pope … I will miss his voice.”
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