Pope Benedict Dies

From his reforms to his foreign relations, criticism of Pope Francis has intensified since the death of his predecessor Benedict XVI

The U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, Joe Donnelly, would be representing the U.S. at the funeral.

The German pope emeritus, whose birth name was Joseph Ratzinger, had been living a quiet life in a former convent inside the Vatican grounds.

Tens of thousands of people paid their respects on Monday to former pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican, at the start of three days of lying-in-state in St Peter's Basilica before his funeral.

Catholics will on Monday be able to pay their tributes in the Vatican to former pope Benedict XVI, whose body will lie in state for three days at St Peter's Basilica before his funeral.

Pope Benedict the Sixteenth died Saturday at the age of 95, the Vatican announced, almost a decade after he became the first pontiff to resign in six centuries.

Former pope Benedict XVI, who in 2013 became the first pontiff to resign as head of the Catholic Church since the Middle Ages, died on Saturday aged 95, the Vatican announced.

Former Pope Benedict, who died on Saturday aged 95, was the first pontiff in 600 years to resign, leaving behind a Catholic Church battered by sexual abuse scandals, mired in mismanagement and polarised between conservatives and progressives.

John Paul II's canonisation will be one of the fastest in recent history - he died in 2005.

Pope Benedict used his Christmas message to the world on Tuesday to say people should never lose hope for peace, even in conflict-riven Syria and in Nigeria where he spoke of "terrorism" against Christians.

The papal envoy to Ivory Coast, Indian Archbishop Ambrose Madtha, has been killed in a traffic accident in the west of the country, the Ivorian church announced.

From his reforms to his foreign relations, criticism of Pope Francis has intensified since the death of his predecessor Benedict XVI

The U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, Joe Donnelly, would be representing the U.S. at the funeral.

The German pope emeritus, whose birth name was Joseph Ratzinger, had been living a quiet life in a former convent inside the Vatican grounds.

Tens of thousands of people paid their respects on Monday to former pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican, at the start of three days of lying-in-state in St Peter's Basilica before his funeral.

Catholics will on Monday be able to pay their tributes in the Vatican to former pope Benedict XVI, whose body will lie in state for three days at St Peter's Basilica before his funeral.

Pope Benedict the Sixteenth died Saturday at the age of 95, the Vatican announced, almost a decade after he became the first pontiff to resign in six centuries.

Former pope Benedict XVI, who in 2013 became the first pontiff to resign as head of the Catholic Church since the Middle Ages, died on Saturday aged 95, the Vatican announced.

Former Pope Benedict, who died on Saturday aged 95, was the first pontiff in 600 years to resign, leaving behind a Catholic Church battered by sexual abuse scandals, mired in mismanagement and polarised between conservatives and progressives.

John Paul II's canonisation will be one of the fastest in recent history - he died in 2005.

Pope Benedict used his Christmas message to the world on Tuesday to say people should never lose hope for peace, even in conflict-riven Syria and in Nigeria where he spoke of "terrorism" against Christians.

The papal envoy to Ivory Coast, Indian Archbishop Ambrose Madtha, has been killed in a traffic accident in the west of the country, the Ivorian church announced.