Insomnia "Main Reason" Why Pope Benedict Resigned In 2013: Report

Benedict was plagued by insomnia almost "constantly" from the start of his time as pope in 2005, according to a letter.

Ex-pope Benedict, who recently died, described years of persistent sleeping troubles as the "main reason" behind his shock decision to step down in 2013, according to a German media report Friday.

Benedict was plagued by insomnia almost "constantly" from the start of his time as pope in 2005, according to a letter written a few weeks before his death on New Year's Eve.

In the message to his biographer Peter Seewald, obtained by German magazine Focus, Benedict said "strong" pills prescribed to him by his doctor meant he was still able to fulfil his duties as head of the Catholic Church.

The drugs however "reached their limits", meaning the ailing German pontiff was less and less available, he said in the letter dated October 28, 2022.