The Vatican announced that the former pope, Benedict XVI, who resigned in 2013, died on the morning of the 31st.
he was 95 years old.
Benedict XVI, real name Josef Ratzinger, was born in 1927 in Bavaria, southern Germany.
After serving as Archbishop of Munich and other important positions in the Vatican, he became the 265th Pope of Rome at the age of 78 in April 2005 following the death of Pope John Paul II.
He is known as a conservative within the Catholic Church who strongly opposes contraception and abortion, and while expressing this position as the Pope, he appealed for an "open Vatican" through postings on Twitter and other means.
During his tenure, there were also scandals one after another, and he was forced to deal with problems such as sexual abuse by clergy and the uncertain financial situation of the Roman Catholic Church.
In 2013, about eight years after taking office, he suddenly announced his resignation, citing his declining physical strength due to his advanced age.
He was said to be the first pope to resign before his death in nearly 600 years, and was taken by surprise in the world at the time.
After his resignation, he became "Honorary Pope" and appeared at events while living in the Vatican.