Pope Benedict XVI (2022) - Public Domain Catholic Painting

Pope Benedict XVI, born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger (1927-2022), was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013^[1]. He was elected to the papacy in 2005^[2] and is remembered outside the Catholic Church for his surprise resignation^[2]. He was known for his sense of pontifical fashion, regularly donning intricate and ornate vestments for mass^[2].

Benedict died on Saturday December 31, 2022 (aged 95), almost 10 years after stepping down as pope^[3]. His successor, Pope Francis, presided over his funeral service and prayed for Benedict's passage to heaven at a special New Year's Day mass^[3]. The strange afterlife of Pope Benedict XVI’s pontificate saw him become an adviser to Pope Francis and a unrivalled theologian who was regarded as a mentor by many cardinals^[4].