Former Pope Benedict XVI dies at 95 – Biography, Early life, Careers, Resignation, Age and Worsen Health, who served as leader of the Catholic church (from 2005 until his resignation in 2013), died on Saturday. This are 3 days after his successor, Pope Francis, warned the world that he was gravely ill.

Benedict’s resistance to what he saw as campaigns to secularize the church, promote women as priests and “normalize” homosexuality led to his characterization as “God’s Rottweiler”.