Breaking: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI dies aged 95

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (Andrew Medichini/AP)

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the German theologian who will be remembered as the first pope in 600 years to resign, has died at the age of 95, the Vatican announced on Saturday.

A statement from Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said: “With pain I inform that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesia Monastery in the Vatican. Further information will be released as soon as possible.” Benedict stunned the world on February 11 2013 when he announced that he no longer had the strength to run the 1.2 billion-strong Catholic Church that he had steered for eight years through scandal and indifference.