Catholic Archbishop of Seoul Peter Chung Soon-taick has paid tribute to former Pope Benedict XVI, who died on Saturday at the age of 95.

During Sunday Mass at Myeongdong Cathedral in the capital, Chung said the Pope Emeritus had a keen interest in protecting the value of human life, noting that Benedict had sought to keep in step with the changing world while respecting the traditional teachings of the church.

The cathedral set up a memorial altar for the late pope on Sunday, and other cathedrals across the nation are expected to follow suit.

Meanwhile, in a social media post on Sunday, President Yoon Suk Yeol offered his condolences to Catholics who are in mourning over the loss of a giant.

Born on April 16, 1927 in the Bavarian village of Marktl, Joseph Ratzinger became a priest in 1951 and succeeded Pope John Paul II in April 2005, taking the name Benedict XVI. He resigned in 2013, becoming the first pope in 600 years to do so.