Former Pope Benedict XVI[사진=연합뉴스]
On the 31st (local time) the Vatican announced that the former Pope Benedict XVI has died at the age of 95.
“It is with sadness that we announce that Pope Benedict XVI passed away at 9:34 am in the Vatican,” a Vatican spokesman said.
Born in Germany, Benedict XVI, whose real name is Joseph Ratzinger, became the 265th pope after John Paul II in April 2005. Eight years later, in February 2013, he resigned from his post due to ill health , claiming that he no longer had the strength to carry out his duties as a Peter.
Benedict XVI has resigned as pope and has given himself the title of ‘honorary pope’, promising unconditional obedience to his successor pope. After his resignation, he did not return to his native Germany, but remained in a monastery in Vatican City and devoted himself to research and writing.
Benedict XVI also has a special relationship with Korea, such as the cardinal appointment in February 2006 of Archbishop Jeong Jin-seok, archbishop of Seoul, during his tenure.
In November of the same year, he called for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula by peaceful means and in February 2007, after a conversation with then-President Roh Moo-hyun, he expressed his intention to pray for the reunification of separated families in the south and the North Korea in a personal letter.
During the 2008 fire in Icheon, Gyeonggi province, a telegram was delivered to the Catholic archdiocese of Suwon.
- reporter information
- Seung Woo Hong
- [email protected]
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