and healthy new years eve. we are continuing to follow the breaking news out of the vatican. pope benedict the 16th has died at the age of 95. the vatican says the retired pope passed away early this morning. his funeral will be held on january 5th in st. peters square. presided over by pope francis. that is the man who became leader of the catholic church after benedict resigned from the role in 2013. msnbc looks back on his life and legacy. it was a resignation that shocked the catholic church. pope benedict, less than eight years after his election, he became the first pope and seven centuries to voluntarily retire. he said that he lacked the strength of mind and body to do the job. he felt like he was being prevented from being the pope in a way that he felt the pope should be present for the people of god. he was born joseph rat singer in wartime germany. in the deeply catholic weijia bavaria. he and his brother george people became priests. both eventually landed
should be present for the people of god. he was born joseph rat singer in wartime germany. in the deeply catholic weijia bavaria. he and his brother george people became priests. both eventually landed in rome. they both planned retirement and i moved back home when john paul the second guide. at the gathering of cardinals before the conclave to elect a successor, the cardinal sent a pointed message. you expect to portray for the holy spirit to enlighten us. no, i was there at the mass before they entered. he gave a scorching indictment of relativism and the world. it was a gauntlet. a gun on it he had zero now before. for almost a quarter century under pope john paul, he was the head of the office that oversees matters of church doctrine and morality. critics nicknamed him the rottweiler for his uncompromising views on priest celibacy, the ordination of