The Body Of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Lies In State At St. Peter's Basilica

The body of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI lies in state at St. Peter's Basilica on January 04, 2023 in Vatican City, Vatican. Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger was born in Marktl, Bavaria, Germany in 1927. He became Pope Benedict XVI, serving as head of the Catholic Church and the sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation, due to ill health, on 28 February 2013. He succeeded Pope John Paul II and was succeeded by the current Pope Francis. He died on 31 December 2022 aged 95 at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in Vatican City. (Photo by Massimo Valicchia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)