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Former Pope Benedict XVI, age 95 has died. His death comes almost a decade after he stood down because of ailing health. Pope Benedict XVI, spent his final years at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery within the walls of the Vatican. The Vatican said 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."
Pope Benedict the 16th, the Bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church, is dead at the age of 95. Pope Benedict died of after his conditioned worsened over the last few days. Pope Benedict's birth name is Joseph Ratzinger. He spoke fluent German, French, Italian, Spanish, Latin, and English. Benedict had a pilot's license and sometimes flew the papal helicopter to the summer residence.
Prior to his election as pope, Benedict led a career as a theologian and as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. At the age of 77, Pope Benedict was the oldest person to be elected pope since 1730. Benedict was elected as pope in the 2005 papal conclave that followed the death of Pope John Paul II, and he served as pope until 2013.
In February of 2013, Benedict unexpectedly announced his resignation during the clerical sexual abuse scandal surrounding the church. He became the first pope in 600 years to resign.
The Vatican said the body of the Pope Emeritus will be placed in St Peter's Basilica from 2 January for "the greeting of the faithful". Funeral plans for Pope Benedict will be announced in the next few hours, the Vatican said.