Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, then Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was elected Pope Benedict XVI on 19 April 2005, succeeding John Paul II, who died on 2 April 2005. He stepped down as pope at … See more

In his weekly general audience on 28 December 2022, Pope Francis announced that Benedict was "very sick". Francis did not disclose the exact nature of his ailment, but called for people to pray for Benedict. Later that d… See more

At the time of Benedict's death, the Holy See had procedures governing the rituals surrounding papal deaths and funerals, but which were designed specifically for the deaths of incumbent popes.
On 1 Janua… See more