Adorable Pope Benedict XVI dies at 95, the first pontiff resigned in 600 years

Born April 16, 1927, in Germany's Bavaria, Joseph Ratzinger was a theologian by training.

He led the Catholic Church for fewer than eight years until, in 2013,

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Pop Benedict became the first Pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415.

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Pope Benedict had experienced declining health due to his advanced age

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On Feb. 11, 2013, Benedict XVI shocked the world by announcing Resign: "After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God,

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Benedict spent his final years at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery within the walls of the Vatican

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The U.K.'s Queen Elizabeth II meets with Pope Benedict in Edinburgh, Scotland, during his historic state visit

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Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger meets with Russian Orthodox Archbishop Wladimir Dimitrowskij

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Like his father, Benedict opposed Hitler. But at age 14, he was forced to join the Hitler Youth.

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https://pastace.com

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