Farewell to His Holiness Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI: ‘Humble worker in vineyard of the Lord'

Portrait of the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI  (Vatican Media)

The 95-year-old Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI passed away on Saturday 31 December 2022, at 9:34 AM, in his residence at the Vatican's Mater Ecclesiae Monastery.

By Vatican News

His Holiness Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has returned to the Father’s House.

The Holy See Press Office announced that the Pope Emeritus died at 9:34 AM on Saturday morning in his residence at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, which the 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 His Holiness Pope Emeritus had worsened due to advancing age, as the Press Office had reported in its updates of the evolving situation.

His Holiness Pope Francis himself publicly shared the news about his predecessor's worsening health at the end of the last General Audience of the year, on 28 December.

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 details for the funeral rite.

This news was originally published on the Vatican News official website.