Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the former head of the Catholic Church, passed away at 95 earlier this morning, December 31, 2022. He was the first pope in over 600 years to retire from the position. Pope Francis, the current head of the Catholic Church, succeeded him. Pope Benedict’s body will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, followed by a funeral on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square.

Pope Benedict’s time as the head of the Catholic Church was rife with scandal, notably a growing number of child sexual abuse cases among the clergy. The Vatican chose to respond to these reports by covering up the wrongdoing, leaving the abusers and their superiors to go unpunished.

He was generally respected by most Catholics and his successor, Pope Francis. Pope Benedict was generally conservative, reiterating the Church’s traditional positions on issues pertaining to abortion, contraception, and homosexuality.