Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI dies

By Amy Woodyatt, Laura Smith-Spark, Sana Noor Haq, Matt Meyer and Adrienne Vogt, CNN

Updated 1:33 p.m. ET, December 31, 2022
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7:23 a.m. ET, December 31, 2022

Former Pope Benedict XVI's funeral to be held in St. Peter's Square on January 5

From CNN's Sugam Pokharel, Sharon Braithwaite and Valentina Di Donato

A photo memorial of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany on Saturday.
A photo memorial of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany on Saturday. (Federico Gambarini/picture alliance/Getty Images)

The funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI will be held on January 5 in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican City at 9:30 a.m. local time, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said.

The funeral event will be led by Pope Francis.

The former pope's body will lie in state in Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican from Monday, January 2, for the faithful to bid farewell, Vatican News reported Saturday.

As per the wish of Pope Emeritus, his funeral will be "simple," Bruni said.

9:08 a.m. ET, December 31, 2022

Religious leaders hail former pope

From CNN's Sana Noor Haq, Samantha Beech, Darya Tarasova and Allegra Goodwin

Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Church of England, said he is "mourning" former Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, following his death at the age of 95 in Vatican City.

Benedict, who was the first pontiff in almost 600 years to resign his position, rather than hold office for life, passed away on Saturday, according to a statement from the Vatican.

"Pope Benedict was one of the greatest theologians of his age – committed to the faith of the Church and stalwart in its defence," Welby said in a statement Saturday.

"In all things, not least in his writing and his preaching, he looked to Jesus Christ, the image of the invisible God. It was abundantly clear that Christ was the root of his thought and the basis of his prayer.

"In 2013 Pope Benedict took the courageous and humble step to resign the papacy, the first Pope to do so since the fifteenth century. In making this choice freely he acknowledged the human frailty that affects us all," he added.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, said he will remember the former pope with "love and gratitude."

“The human family grieves the passing of this erudite, wise, and holy man, who spoke the truth with love," he said Saturday.

"The family of the Church especially mourns his death, while grateful for the gift he was of a good shepherd and Holy Father.

"I personally sense the loss as he was so encouraging, and appointed me Archbishop of New York and nominated me a Cardinal.

"Faith and reason, the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI, whom we remember with reverence, love and gratitude," Dolan added.

Cardinal Dolan will offer prayers for the Pope Emeritus at 10 a.m. local time, at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, the statement said.

The leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, offered his condolences to Pope Francis after the Pope Emeritus' death.

Kirill told Francis he had received news of Benedict’s passing with “sorrow,” according to the message shared on the official website of the Moscow Patriarchate.  

“His Holiness's many years of life marked a whole epoch in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, which he led in a difficult historical period, associated with many external and internal challenges,” Kirill said of Benedict.  

Kirill added relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church had “developed significantly” during Benedict’s tenure, in an effort to “overcome the sometimes-painful legacy of the past.”  

5:44 a.m. ET, December 31, 2022

In pictures: The life of Benedict XVI

Produced by CNN Digital's Photo Team

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died on Saturday, December 31, the Vatican confirmed in a statement. He was 95.

According to Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni, the former pope's health had deteriorated in the past several weeks.

Benedict XVI became pope in 2005 and resigned in 2013, citing his "advanced age." He was the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415.

Benedict, left, stands as one of five new cardinals created by Pope Paul VI in June 1977.
Benedict, left, stands as one of five new cardinals created by Pope Paul VI in June 1977. (Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Benedict lies before the altar during a Good Friday ceremony at the Vatican in April 2007.
Benedict lies before the altar during a Good Friday ceremony at the Vatican in April 2007. (Danilo Schiavella/Pool/AP)

Benedict arrives to celebrate Mass at New York's Yankee Stadium in April 2008. During his trip to the United States, he also visited the White House and spoke to the United Nations General Assembly.
Benedict arrives to celebrate Mass at New York's Yankee Stadium in April 2008. During his trip to the United States, he also visited the White House and spoke to the United Nations General Assembly. (Julie Jacobson/AP)

Benedict waves at the Vatican in December 2012.
Benedict waves at the Vatican in December 2012. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images)

Read the full story:

10:02 a.m. ET, December 31, 2022

Who was Pope Benedict XVI? A look at the life of Joseph Ratzinger, German scholar and son of a policeman

Pope Benedict XVI waves to the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square during his weekly audience on March 30, 2011, in the Vatican City.
Pope Benedict XVI waves to the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square during his weekly audience on March 30, 2011, in the Vatican City. (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger in Marktl am Inn, in southeastern Germany, near the border with Austria, on April 16, 1927. 

Ratzinger's early years were defined both by World War II, and by his faith. Hitler rose to power during Ratzinger's adolescence in Traunstein, in the heavily Catholic region of Bavaria. When he was 14, school officials followed Nazi officials' orders and enrolled him and the rest of his class in the Hitler Youth movement — against his will, Ratzinger wrote in his memoir.

Ratzinger's pre-papal career: In 1943 he was drafted into the German army. For the next two years, Ratzinger served as part of an anti-aircraft unit. He later deserted — and was taken prisoner by the US military.

In 1953, he earned a doctorate in theology, and eventually he became a professor — teaching dogma and fundamental theology at four German universities.

One of his most significant steps up came in 1981 when he took over as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith — the Vatican office that oversees "the doctrine on the faith and morals throughout the Catholic world," according to the Vatican.

"Cardinal No": Ratzinger earned the nickname "Cardinal No" for his efforts to crack down on the liberation theology movement, religious pluralism, challenges to traditional teachings on issues such as homosexuality, and calls to ordain women as priests.

Over the years, he was at the center of several controversies: he labeled homosexuality "an intrinsic moral evil," and called the Soviet Union and its communist satellite nations "a shame of our time."

His friendship with Pope John Paul II went back decades, a bond that held until John Paul’s death in 2005, by which time Ratzinger was dean of the College of Cardinals — the high-level group that advises the pope and, when called upon, picks a new pontiff.

5:11 a.m. ET, December 31, 2022

Former Pope Benedict XVI has died

Pope Benedict XVI greets the crowd gathered in St. Mark's Square while crossing it on an electric car on May 7, 2011, in Venice, Italy.
Pope Benedict XVI greets the crowd gathered in St. Mark's Square while crossing it on an electric car on May 7, 2011, in Venice, Italy. (Marco Secchi/Getty Images)

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who served as the head of the Catholic Church for eight years before his resignation shocked the world, has died.

The 95-year-old former pontiff was 95 and his health had been decline for some time.

The Director of the Press Office of the Holy See Matteo Bruni announced the news Saturday in a statement.

“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. Further information will be provided as soon as possible.”

Benedict, who was elected as the 265th pope in 2005, stunned the Catholic faithful and religious experts around the globe in 2013 when he announced he would step down as pope, citing his “advanced age.”   

He was the first pontiff in almost 600 years to resign his position, rather than hold office for life.

Bookended by globally popular and charismatic popes -- St. John Paul II and Pope Francis – Benedict cut a different figure. Friends and biographers described him as quiet and scholarly, more at home among theological tomes than adoring crowds.   

The German-born Benedict saw himself, and the church, as a bulwark against secular trends in Western society, particularly what he called the “dictatorship of relativism.” He often insisted that Catholics maintain a fortress mentality, saying perhaps a smaller, “purer” church would best maintain Catholicism’s traditions and teachings.   

As Pope, Benedict was a polarizing figure. He was hailed by conservatives who admired his erudite writings and careful theology. But critics, particularly in the postmodern West, called him “God’s Rottweiler” for his staunch insistence on fidelity to church’s doctrine and his willingness to silence dissent.   

Benedict also came under fire for his handling of the sexual abuse crisis that engulfed the Catholic church during his years as a senior cleric. A damning report published in January 2022 found that he knew about priests who abused children but failed to act when he was archbishop of Munich from 1977 to 1982.   

5:00 a.m. ET, December 31, 2022

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has died, Vatican says

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has passed away, the Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Matteo Bruni said Saturday in a statement.

“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.

5:47 a.m. ET, December 31, 2022

Francis called for prayers for ailing Benedict

From CNN’s Delia Gallagher and Allegra Goodwin

Pope Francis visits with Benedict at the Vatican in August 2022.
Pope Francis visits with Benedict at the Vatican in August 2022. (Vatican Media/SIPA/AP)

Pope Francis on Wednesday called for prayers asking God to “console” the sick Pope Emeritus Benedict “until the end.”

“Let us pray together for Pope Emeritus Benedict who is supporting the Church in silence. Let us ask the Lord to console him and to sustain him in this witness of love for the Church, until the end,” Pope Francis said in a tweet

Earlier, at his general audience, Francis had described Benedict as "very sick" and called on the faithful to offer up a "special prayer" for him.

He then visited his predecessor at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery on the grounds of Vatican City, a Vatican spokesman said.

The spokesman said there had "been a deterioration due to the advancement of his age" in the previous few hours, and that Benedict's situation was being "continually monitored by his doctors."

5:12 a.m. ET, December 31, 2022

Benedict was a conservative who shaped Catholic doctrine for years but faced criticism over sex abuse crisis

Germany's Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, appears at the window of St. Peter's Basilica main balcony after being elected as the 265th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, on April 19, 2005, in Vatican City.
Germany's Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, appears at the window of St. Peter's Basilica main balcony after being elected as the 265th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, on April 19, 2005, in Vatican City. (Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty Images)

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was elected as pontiff in April 2005, at the age of 78.

Given his age, he was widely seen as a caretaker pope, a bridge to the next generation after John Paul II's long tenure.

A strict conservative: As an aide to John Paul II, Benedict served as a strict enforcer of his conservative social doctrine. He continued to espouse a conservative doctrine after taking office himself and frequently warned of a "dictatorship of relativism."

In his tone, demeanor and actions, Benedict was notably different from his predecessor -- where John Paul wowed crowds with his mastery of numerous languages, Benedict's influence was felt through his erudite writings and theological rigor.   

As Pope, Benedict often championed a back-to-basics approach. Three of his encyclicals – letters from the Pope to Catholics around the world – were based on the theological virtues of faith, hope and love.   

Church sex abuse crisis: Benedict became Pope at the height of the global sexual abuse scandal involving Catholic priests.

In 2008, he acknowledged "the shame which we have all felt" over abuse reports, and in 2010 issued new rules aimed at stopping abusive priests who he said "disfigured their ministry.”

Some believe he did more to tackle the abuse than any of his papal predecessors, while others saw his response as woefully inadequate.

Benedict came under renewed criticism in 2021 over his time as archbishop of Munich and Freising, following the publication of a Church-commissioned report into abuse by Catholic clergy there. The report found that while in the post, between 1977 and 1982, he had been informed of four cases of sexual abuse involving minors — including two that had occurred during his time in office — but failed to act.

Other controversies: The abuse crisis was one of a string of controversies to dominate Benedict's time as pontiff, which often garnered more attention than his conciliatory actions.

In 2006, he quoted a 14th century Byzantine emperor who called Islam "evil and inhuman" — which provoked rioting in some parts of the Muslim world and prompted Benedict to apologize — and he lifted the excommunication of a Holocaust-denying bishop in 2009.

Benedict's other controversies included his comments that condom distribution "increases the problem" of AIDS, and his decision to revive a Good Friday prayer for the conversion of Jews.