Former Pope Benedict XVI Passes Away at Age 95

Former Pope Benedict XVI

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Pope Benedict XVI passed away on the 31st (local time), the Vatican Press Office announced. He was 95 years old. He was the second person to voluntarily resign from the lifelong position of pope, and it was reported that his health had recently deteriorated due to old age.

The Vatican stated, "After stepping down in 2013, he stayed at a residence in the Ecclesia Monastery and passed away at 9:34 a.m. this morning." The pope's body is scheduled to be enshrined in St. Peter's Basilica on the morning of January 2 next year and will be made public to the faithful.

Earlier, the Vatican and current Pope Francis publicly disclosed that the health of former Pope Benedict XVI had worsened. Born in Germany with the birth name Joseph Ratzinger, Benedict XVI ascended to the papacy as the 265th pope in April 2005 following John Paul II, but after eight years, in February 2013, he resigned voluntarily citing health issues and the inability to continue performing the duties of Peter.

The pope's voluntary resignation was the first in about 600 years in Catholic history. After stepping down, Benedict XVI bestowed upon himself the title of "Pope Emeritus" and pledged unconditional obedience to his successor. After his resignation, he did not return to his homeland Germany but lived in a monastery within Vatican City, engaging in research and writing activities.

Benedict XVI had ties with Korea, such as appointing Archbishop Chung Jin-suk of the Seoul Archdiocese as a cardinal in February 2006 during his tenure. In November 2006, he called for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through peaceful means, and after meeting former President Roh Moo-hyun in February 2007, he expressed through a letter his intention to pray for the reunion of separated families from the North and South.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.