The pope before Francis was Pope Benedict XVI. He served as the head of the Roman Catholic Church and bishop of Rome from 2005 until his resignation in 2013. Born Joseph Alois Ratzinger, Benedict XVI was elected pope following the death of Pope John Paul II. He was the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415, citing health reasons and advanced age. After his resignation, he held the title of "pope emeritus" until his death in 2022
