Pope Emeritus Benedict becomes oldest pope in history; all about the 93-year-old pontiff

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, on September 4, became the oldest pope at the age of 93 years and five months. Benedict who served from 2005 till 2013, is the first pope in 700 years to retire from his position.  The German-born religious head currently holds the status of “pope emeritus.”

On the death of John Paul II in 2005, Cardinal Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger was elected the 265th pontiff, becoming Benedict XVI. The pope retired after eight years in office citing diminishing strength. He was succeeded by his 10-year junior Jorge Bergoglio. Bergoglio, an Argentinian citizen and the current Pope later adopted the name of  Francis.

Born on April 16, 1927, Pope Benedict officially broke the previous longevity record held by Italian Leo XIII who died in 1903 at the age of 93 years, four months and three days, according to the calculations of the Italian episcopal journal, Avvenire, and the magazine Famiglia Cristiana.

However, his longevity status is challenged by many citing his retirement from the position of a religious head. In addition, Vatican experts say the record could also be disputed because, going back 1,400 years, the ages of previous popes may not always be completely accurate.

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Deteriorating health 

With a few public sightings, Pope Benedict lives “hidden from the world”  in a former convent inside Vatican grounds. Recent sighting has captured him in a week stature, often in a wheelchair. However, people close to him argue that he still mentally sharp.  

Benedict has authored several books and was nicknamed “God’s Rottweiler” as a cardinal. However, his own life story was penned by German biographer, journalist Peter Seewald, who also raised the alarm about the former pope's health after meeting him on August 1 to hand over his latest book.

In July Pope. Along with his 96-year-old brother Georg, visited his native place Bavaria. On that visit, his first foreign trip since stepping down, Benedict started suffering a painful case of shingles affecting the face, which worsened after the death of his brother. The former theology professor, who taught for 25 years before being appointed Archbishop of Munich, went on to become the man in charge of preserving Catholic doctrine by defending points of Christian tradition which seem to be in danger.

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