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Report reaching our desk indicated that a renowned Christian leader, Pope Emeritus is dead.
The Holy See Press Office announced his passage at early hours of today, precisely at 9:34 AM on Saturday, in his residence at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery.
The late 95-year-old Pope Emeritus had chosen as his residence after resigning from the Petrine ministry in 2013.
“With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 AM in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. Further information will be provided as soon as possible. As of Monday morning, 2 January 2023, the body of the Pope Emeritus will be in Saint Peter’s Basilica so the faithful can bid farewell.”
News of worsening health condition Already for several days, the health conditions of the Pope Emeritus had worsened due to advancing age, as the Press Office had reported in its updates of the evolving situation.
The Pope had invited people to pray for the Pope Emeritus, who was “very ill”, so that the Lord might console him and support him “in this witness of love for the Church until the end.”
Following this invitation, prayer initiatives sprung up and multiplied on all continents, along with an outpouring of messages of solidarity and closeness from secular leaders.
- Funeral plans
In the next few hours, the Holy See Press Office will communicate the news of the funeral rite.
