Pope Benedict XVI has sadly passed away.
The former leader of the Catholic church died at his residence in the Vatican on Saturday (December 31) after an extended illness. He was 95-years-old.
“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,” Matteo Bruni, the director of the Holy See Press Office, wrote in a statement. “Further information will be provided as soon as possible.”
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The Vatican added that Pope Benedict‘s remains will remain at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome from January to allow “the greeting of the faithful.”
Pope Benedict‘s funeral will be held on Thursday (January 5) at 9:30am local time in Peter’s Square and will be presided over by his successor Pope Francis.
Pope Benedict served as head of the Catholic Church in Vatican City for nearly eight years, beginning in 2005 before unexpectedly stepping down in 2013, when he became the first pontiff to do so in nearly 600 years.