Pope Benedict XVI, the first pope to voluntarily abdicate the papal reins in nearly 600 years, has passed away at the age of 93. He was born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger in 1927 in Marktl, Germany and was a staunch advocate for conservative Roman Catholicism. His funeral will be held on Thursday, Jan. 5, in St. Peter's Square, with Pope Francis presiding over the mass.
