Pope Benedict XVI

In 2013, the public began speculating on the health of Pope Benedict XVI (1927-2022), suggesting that he had been diagnosed with cancer after an unexpected and urgent visit to the hospital.

The Pope’s spokesperson, Federico Lombardi, shut down those rumors and informed the the Italian press he in-fact had been fitted with a pacemaker many years previous and a battery change was the reason for his hospital visit.

Lombardi said: "It was a routine replacement of the batteries. It is absolutely not a relevant procedure."

He also said that Benedict XVI’s decision on resigning that same year, was not driven by any illness.