Former Pope Benedict XVI has died at his Vatican residence at the age of 95.

He led the Catholic Church from 2005 until 2013, stepping down for health reasons after less than eight years as the head of the church.

He said he no longer had the physical and mental strength to run the church.

In resigning, Pope Benedict became the first Pope to resign since 1415.

His successor Pope Francis often visited him at his residency in the Master Ecclesiae monastery within the Vatican.

And on Wednesday, Pope Francis called for those in attendance at his final Vatican audience of the year to “pray a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict” who he warned was very ill.

The Vatican announced Pope Benedict XVI had died on Saturday morning.

He was born Joseph Ratzinger in Germany and was 78 when he became Pope in 2005, becoming one of the oldest men ever elected to the position.

Before being elected, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger served as the head of the Vatican’s doctrinal watchdog for 24 years and earned the nickname ‘God’s Rottweiler’ for his conservative theological views.