(Dec. 31, 2022 11:53 AM PST) Pope Benedict XVI, who was the first pontiff in 600 years to resign, died on Saturday at the age of 95. Pope Francis will preside at his funeral on Thursday morning in St. Peter’s Square. Benedict’s papacy was marred by scandals and leaks of documents, but he was a hero to Catholic conservatives who yearned for a more traditional Church. His body will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica from Monday.
