Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Pope Benedict XVI died at the age of 95.

German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger ascended the papal throne in 2005 after the death of his predecessor, John Paul II. He  took the name Benedict XVI.

In 2013, the Pope decided to abdicate due to his advanced age and health. His abdication was the first in the Vatican for several centuries.

In recent years, he lived in a small monastery Mater Ecclesiae in the Vatican Gardens, writes RIA Novosti. The current pontiff Francis visited him periodically. Benedict XVI was fluent in German, Italian, Latin, English and Spanish. He knew ancient Greek and Hebrew.