- The former president said he also left the legacy of being a man who adhered to the core principles of the Catholic Church.
- Pope Benedict was 95 years old at the time of his death.
Image: COURTESY
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has mourned Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who passed away on Saturday at his residence at the Vatican’s Mater Ecclesiae Monastery.
In his message to Pope Francis, the Catholic faithful, family and friends, Uhuru described the late Pope, as a humble servant of God who truly upheld the virtues of Christ.
“We will forever cherish his service to humanity. As a Catholic faithful, I enjoyed his service firsthand as I experienced the goodness of the Lord through his leadership," the former President said.
“Indeed, in his nearly eight years as Pope, we will remember him as one of the greatest pontiffs in recent times and a church leader who, by choosing to retire, charted a new course for the papacy."
Uhuru further said Pope Benedict XVI will be remembered for the great work he did for humanity.
The former president said he also left the legacy of being a man who adhered to the core principles of the Catholic Church.
Uhuru prayed to God for his comfort to the Catholic Church leadership, faithful, relatives and friends of the late Pope as they prepare for the burial.
Pope Benedict was 95 years old at the time of his death.
The Vatican made the announcement on Twitter saying Benedict XVI died on Saturday at 9:34.
The Pope became the first pontiff to resign in six centuries in 2013 and has almost entirely withdrawn from public view since then with photographs of him emerging and showing him to be frail.
The late Pope will be laid to rest on January 5.
The funeral according to an announcement by the Vatican will be presided over by the current Pope Francis, making it the first burial to be officiated by a sitting Pope.
His body is expected to lie in State at the St. Peter’s Basilica from Monday.