Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI dies

We’ve wrapped up our live coverage of former Pope Benedict XVI’s death. Read more about his life and legacy here, or scroll through the updates below.

US President Joe Biden and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.

US President Joe Biden mourned the passing of former Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday, saying in a statement that the late pontiff “will be remembered as a renowned theologian, with a lifetime of devotion to the Church, guided by his principles and faith.”

Biden, only the second Catholic to serve as president of the United States, reflected on his meeting with Benedict at the Vatican in 2011, saying he remembered “his generosity and welcome as well as our meaningful conversation.”

“As he remarked during his 2008 visit to the White House, ‘the need for global solidarity is as urgent as ever, if all people are to live in a way worthy of their dignity.’ May his focus on the ministry of charity continue to be an inspiration to us all,” Biden said.

Pope Benedict XVI exchanges Christmas greetings with his successor, Pope Francis, at the Vatican in December 2013.

In his first public comments after the death of former Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis called him a “noble person” and praised his predecessor’s “sacrifices for the good of the church.” 

Francis paid homage to Benedict in St. Peter’s Basilica while leading a traditional Vespers ceremony ahead of New Year’s Day.  

“Gratitude to him for all the good he accomplished and above all for his witness of faith and prayer, especially in these last years of his life. Only God knows the value of his sacrifices for the good of the church,” Francis said.  

Former Pope Benedict XVI will be buried in the papal tombs under St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican said Saturday in a statement.

“On Jan. 5, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. (3:30 a.m. ET), on the Parvis of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Holy Father Francis will preside at the Exequial Mass for the late Supreme Pontiff Emeritus Benedict XVI,” the Vatican said.

Following Benedict’s funeral Thursday, “the coffin of the Supreme Pontiff Emeritus will be taken to St. Peter’s Basilica and then to the Vatican Grottoes for burial,” the Vatican added.

Pope Benedict XVI meets with US President George W. Bush in Vatican City in June 2008.

Former Pope Benedict XVI, who died on Saturday at age 95, met with two sitting US presidents and a future American president during his time as leader of the Catholic Church.

Then-Vice President Joe Biden, who later became the second Catholic to serve as president of the United States, met with Pope Benedict at the Vatican in 2011.

Pope Benedict met with his first sitting president when he traveled to the US on a papal visit to the country in April 2008. President George W. Bush took the rare step of meeting the pontiff when his plane arrived at Joint Base Andrews, and he later welcomed Pope Benedict to the White House with an arrival ceremony on the South Lawn where thousands gathered and sang “Happy Birthday” to the pope on his 81st birthday.

Later that year, Bush visited the pontiff at the Vatican, where the two men strolled through the Vatican Gardens and met privately for roughly a half-hour.

In 2009, President Barack Obama met with Pope Benedict for 30 minutes at the Vatican. Officials at the time said their meeting included discussions on addressing poverty and the Middle East as well as issues like abortion and stem cell research.

Benedict welcomes US President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama to the Vatican in July 2009. 

Abortion also appeared to be a topic of discussion in Biden’s meeting with Pope Benedict. In his 2015 interview with America, Biden said the two men spoke about Catholic doctrine and Biden’s belief that he should not impose his own beliefs on other people, including on issues like abortion.

Pope Benedict talked about Biden’s abortion stance after he became president in 2021.

“It’s true, he’s Catholic and observant. And personally, he is against abortion,” Benedict said in an interview with The Tablet, a Catholic publication. “But as president, he tends to present himself in continuity with the line of the Democratic Party … and on gender policy, we still don’t really understand what his position is.” 

Biden also spoke of Pope Benedict at a White House event this summer, calling him a “great theologian, a very conservative theologian.” The president shared that Pope Benedict asked him for advice when they met.

“‘Well one piece of advice,’ I said, ‘I’d go easy on the nuns. They’re more popular than you are,’” Biden recounted, to laughter.

Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican in 2012.

Global leaders are paying homage to Benedict XVI, the Pope Emeritus, who died Saturday in Vatican City at the age of 95.

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.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Saturday that the former pope “sent a strong signal through his resignation.” 

“Pope Benedict’s passing saddens me. My sympathy goes out to all Catholics,” von der Leyen said in a tweet, adding, “He had set a strong signal through his resignation. He saw himself first as a servant for God and his Church.” 

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also paid tribute. “I am saddened to learn of the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI,” Sunak tweeted Saturday.

“My thoughts are with Catholic people in the UK and around the world today,” Sunak added.

Britain’s King Charles III sent a message of condolence to Pope Francis after Benedict’s death. “His visit to the United Kingdom in 2010 was important in strengthening the relations between the Holy See and the United Kingdom,” the king said in the message published on the Royal Family’s official website.

“I also recall his constant efforts to promote peace and goodwill to all people, and to strengthen the relationship between the global Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church,” he said.   

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni voiced her admiration for the former pope.

“Benedict XVI was a giant of faith and reason. He put his life at the service of the universal Church and spoke, and will continue to speak, to the hearts and minds of men with the spiritual, cultural and intellectual depth of his Magisterium,” she tweeted Saturday. 

Italian President Sergio Mattarella described Pope Benedict XVI as an “unforgettable figure for the Italian people,” saying that Italy is in “bereavement” over his death.

His gentleness and wisdom were a blessing “for our community and the entire international community,” Mattarella said Saturday in a statement.   

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the former pope “was a special church leader for many.”

“As a ‘German’ Pope, Benedict XVI was a special church leader for many, not only in this country. The world loses a formative figure of the Catholic Church, an argumentative personality and a clever theologian. My thoughts are with Pope Francis,” Scholz tweeted.  

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer tweeted: “Together we Catholics mourn the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.  

“He was a remarkable historical figure, a great scholar even at a young age. Benedict XVI was one of the few German-speaking heads of the Church and the first Pope of modern times, who resigned from office of his own accord. 

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday said his “thoughts” were with Catholics around the world after the former pope’s death.

“My thoughts are with the Catholics of France and the world, mourning the departure of His Holiness Benedict XVI, who worked with soul and intelligence for a more fraternal world,” Macron tweeted.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky paid tribute to the pope emeritus in a message on Twitter.

“I express my sincere condolences to Pope Francis, the hierarchy and the faithful of the Catholic Church all over the world on the death of Pope Benedict XVI – an outstanding theologian, intellectual and promoter of universal values,” Zelensky wrote.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the former Pope will be remembered for his “rich service to society.” 

“Saddened by the passing away of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who devoted his entire life to the Church and the teachings of Lord Christ. He will be remembered for his rich service to society. My thoughts are with the millions around the world who grieve his passing,” Modi said in a tweet. 

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was “saddened” by the former pope’s death.

“Saddened to hear of the passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, this evening. May he rest in eternal peace,” Albanese tweeted.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is leading Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, called the former pope “a staunch defender of traditional Christian values.”  

“I had the opportunity to communicate with this outstanding person, and I will forever keep the brightest memories of him. I would like to convey to you the words of sincere sympathy in this mournful hour,” he added.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres honored the former pope as “a humble man of prayer and study” who was “principled in his faith, tireless in his pursuit of peace, and determined in his defence of human rights.”

CNN’s Stephanie Halasz and Richard Roth and Sharon Braithwaite contributed reporting.

A photo memorial of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany on Saturday.

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.

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.”  

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 lies before the altar during a Good Friday ceremony at the Vatican in April 2007.

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 waves at the Vatican in December 2012.

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VATICAN CITY, Vatican: Germany's Joseph Ratzinger, the new Pope Benedict XV, appears at the window of St Peter's Basilica main balcony after being elected the 265th pope of the Roman Catholic Church 19 April 2005 at the Vatican City. AFP PHOTO THOMAS COEX (Photo credit should read THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images)

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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 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.

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 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.   

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.

Pope Francis visits with Benedict at the Vatican in August 2022.

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

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.”

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.

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.