Pope Benedict XVI (Latin: Benedictus XVI; Italian: Benedetto XVI; German: Benedikt XVI; born Joseph Alois Ratzinger, German: [ˈjoːzɛf ˈʔaːlɔɪ̯s ˈʁat͡sɪŋɐ]; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was a reluctant pope who never wanted to be pontiff. So it should have come as little surprise that with a few words uttered in Latin on a Vatican holiday in 2013, Benedict ended it all.

On 31 December 2022, at 09:34 Central European Time (UTC+1), former Pope Benedict XVI died at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in Vatican City at the age of 95. He had been pope emeritus since his resignation as the leader of the Catholic Church in 2013 due to declining health.

Mar 28, 2025 · Benedict XVI was bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013. His papacy faced several challenges, including the effects of the scandal beginning in the late 1990s surrounding the church’s handling of sexual abuse by priests.

Apr 3, 2014 · Benedict XVI served as pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013. He is best known for his rigid views on Catholicism and topics such as birth control and homosexuality.

The Vatican says Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has died. He was 95. Benedict was the first pope in 600 years to resign. Benedict had become increasingly frail during his almost 10 years of retirement.

Dec 31, 2022 · Former Pope Benedict XVI has died, aged 95, almost a decade after he stood down because of ailing health. He led the Catholic Church for fewer than eight years until, in 2013, he became the...

Find information on the life and pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI, including his speeches, letters, documents, travels, and messages.

Dec 31, 2022 · ROME — Pope Benedict XVI, the first pontiff to step down since the 15th century, died on Saturday in Vatican City at age 95. For several days, he had experienced declining health due to his...

On February 28, 2013, Pope Benedict announced his resignation, becoming the first pope in almost 600 years to resign from the papacy. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI passed away on December 31, 2022 at the age of 95. Read the full biography …