Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI dies at age 95

In the morning hours of Dec. 31, the Vatican confirmed the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at the age of 95, after his health condition worsened in recent days "due to advancing age," the Holy See said in an official note published in six languages:

The funeral chapel of Benedict XVI will be installed Monday, Jan. 2 in St. Peter's Basilica "for the farewell of the faithful," the Vatican has announced.

Joseph Ratzinger spent his last moments in life at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican gardens, where he lived accompanied by his personal secretary, the German Georg Gänswein, and four nuns of the 'Memores Domini' institute, since he resigned from the pontificate in 2013.

Pope Francis asked for "a special prayer"

In the last few days, there was rising concern about the ex-pope's health. Pope Francis asked the faithful to pray for his predecessor, who was receiving constant medical care after his condition had severely worsened, including difficulty speaking, difficulty moving easily and severe respiratory problems.

In 2013, Benedict XVI became the first pope to resign in 600 years. One of the last images of the Pope was taken on Dec. 1, when he met with several theologians and appeared to be in a delicate state.