Benedict XVI becomes oldest pope in history

VATICAN CITY

: At the age of 93 and nearly five months,

Benedict XVI

officially became the oldest pope in history on Friday, even if the

record

is complicated by the fact that he stepped down in 2013 and holds the status of “pope emeritus”.

Benedict

was the first pope to retire in 700 years — citing his diminishing strength — after eight years in office.


Born on April 16, 1927, Benedict — whose civilian name is

Josef Ratzinger

— officially broke the previous longevity record held by Italian Leo XIII who died in 1903 at the age of 93 years, four months and three days, according to the calculations of the Italian episcopal journal, Avvenire, and the magazine

Famiglia Cristiana

.

Aside from Benedict’s retired status, Vatican experts say the record could also be disputed because, going back 1,400 years, the ages of previous popes may not always be completely accurate.