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Pope Benedict XVI dies - 11th January 2023
People have said goodbye to Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican. His funeral took place in St Peter’s Square. The 95 year old died on 31 December 2022. Benedict XVI had been leader of the Catholic church from 2005 until 2013.
Pope Benedict XVI’s position was unusual. He gave up his work as pope in 2013. He was the first pope to retire since 1415. He said that he felt too old and weak for the job.
Benedict continued living at a monastery in the Vatican. A new pope, Pope Francis, was chosen by senior Catholic priests.
Before he became pope, Benedict XVI's name was Joseph Ratzinger. He was born in Germany in 1927. He was the first German to be pope for 1,000 years, but he retired after 8 years.
Presidents and royals came from around the world to the funeral. 50,000 people stood in St Peter's Square to watch the religious service. Many of the church’s 1.3 billion members viewed the event online or on TV.
Pope Francis led the funeral service and gave the final prayers. Benedict’s coffin was taken to St Peter’s Basilica, where it was buried below the church.
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