Death and funeral of Pope Benedict XVI

Death and funeral of Pope Benedict XVI

Top: Benedict XVI lying in state in St. Peter's Basilica Bottom left: Pope Francis presiding over the funeral Bottom right: St. Peter's Square during the funeral
Date	31 December 2022 (2022-12-31) (death) 5 January 2023 (2023-01-05) (funeral)
Location	Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, Vatican City (death) St. Peter's Square, Vatican City (funeral)

On 31 December 2022, at 09:34 Central European Time (UTC+1), former Pope Benedict XVI died at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in Vatican City at the age of 95. He had been pope emeritus since his resignation as the leader of the Catholic Church in 2013 due to declining health. His death ended a nine-year period during which an incumbent pope and a retired pope both lived within Vatican City.

Benedict's body lay in state in St. Peter's Basilica from 2 to 4 January 2023, during which around 195,000 mourners paid their respects. His funeral, presided over by Pope Francis, took place in St. Peter's Square on 5 January, and was attended by around 50,000 people.