Pope Benedict XVI, who was 95 years old, has died

Officials at the Vatican have announced that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, 95, has died at home in Rome.

“With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. Further information will be provided as soon as possible,” Matteo Bruni, the Director of Holy See’s press office, stated in his statement.

The Vatican press office stated that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s remains will be kept in Vatican’s St. Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful can pay their respects from Monday to Wednesday.

The funeral of Pope Francis will take place in St. Peter’s Square, on the parvis to St. Peter’s Basilica. It is set for Thursday at 9:15 a.m. (local time) and will be presided. His coffin will then be taken to the Vatican Grottoes below St. Peter’s Basilica for burial.

Benedict, who was 85 at the time of his sudden resignation in February 2013, was barely known to have left the small sovereign state and was seldom seen in public.

© Arturo Mari/Getty Images After being elected by the conclave, the cardinals elected Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger from Germany, to appear on the balcony at St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican. April 19, 2005, Vatican City.

Election and papal papacy

At 78 years old, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was proclaimed the 265th pontiff for the Roman Catholic Church. He was the first German pope since several centuries. He was also the second consecutive non-Italian pontiff and the oldest pope. since Clement XII in 1730According to church records,

He was elected by four votes, which is fast for the Church.

The Catholic Church was the target of many scandals during his eight-year tenure as pope. A growing number sexual abuse cases involving clergy was perhaps the most devastating and exposed a repeat pattern of how the Church had dealt with these types of cases in the past. The abusers and their superiors were left unpunished by law enforcement.

The revelations are being viewed by some Vatican watchers as the worst crisis the church has ever faced since the Reformation. Benedict, first as a cardinal in his doctrinal position in the Vatican, and then as Pope, took action to create a united church response to this increasing public clerical abuse crisis.

Benedict reiterated the Church’s conservative stances on key doctrinal issues such as abortion, contraception and homosexuality.

Some Muslims were offended by his behavior. 2006 speech in Regensburg, Germanyinterpreted as anti-Islam by others. He worked later to create more connections between the two faiths.

© Gregorio Borgia/AP, FILE Pope Benedict XVI listens as a speech is made during the welcome ceremony at Silao airport, Mexico, March 23, 2012.

Many Catholics loved and respected Pope John Paul II until his death. His successor, Pope Francis, often spoke affectionately about him and during his trip in April 2022 to Malta described him as a “prophet” It was for the prediction that the Catholic church would become the future. “smaller” There are many other options “spiritual, poorer and less political.”

Benedict’s soft-spoken style and snow-white hair. love for cats classical music His love for music, especially piano, made him an endearing figure to many.

(MORE: Pope Benedict XVI: 6 Surprising Facts)

While his papacy was brief, Pope Benedict XVI did a lot. 24 foreign trips Each continent that is habitable has been visited. In August 2005, he made his first trip to Cologne in Germany for the 20th World Youth Day. In 2008, he made a visit to the U.S. and delivered a speech. speech to the U.N. General Assembly.

He was a prolific writer all his life. He wrote speeches, exhortations, encyclicals and even a biography in three books. “Jesus of Nazareth,” While pope

He beatified 322 people and canonized 45, which includes two Americans: Kateri TekakwithaThe first Native American saint was. Marianne Cope, who spent the past 30 years of her adult life caring for the sick of the Hawaiian island of Molokai.

(MORE: Kateri Tekakwitha Becomes First American Indian Saint)

Bavarian boyhood, WWII

Joseph Ratzinger was born on April 16, 1927 in Marktl am Inn (part of Germany’s southern regions). His father was a cop and his mother was an ex-cook. He had a sister and a brother.

His autobiography reveals that he was 12 years old when he followed his older brother Georg to the seminary in 1939. When he was 14. Ratzinger was enrolled in Hitler’s Nazi youth Movement was not allowed; compulsory membership was at the time. In 1943, he was drafted to an anti-aircraft Nazi unit. But his unit never saw combat.

(MORE: Pope Benedict Dogged By Hitler Youth Past, Despite Jewish Support)

He returned to his home in the spring 1945 after the end of WWII. As a former soldier, he was sent to U.S. prisoner-of-war camp in May 1945. He was eventually released after only a few months.

The war ended at 18 years old. After the war, the brothers returned to the seminary. Joseph and Georg were ordained priests, and they celebrated their first mass on June 29th 1951.

© Domenico Stinellis/AP, FILE Pope Benedict XVI greets the crowd at the Vatican’s central balcony, April 19, 2005 shortly after his election.

Before becoming pope

Ratzinger was ordained in 1977. He went on to a successful university career, teaching fundamental and dogmatic theology at several German universities. Ratzinger was elected archbishop de Freising and Munich in 1977. Three months later, Pope Paul VI elevated Ratzinger to the rank of cardinal.

Three years after his death electionPope John Paul II appointed Cardinal Ratzinger as the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome, responsible for all matters of doctrine within the Church.

Ratzinger assumed a greater role at Vatican as dean of College of Cardinals in 2002 after John Paul II’s declining health. He was the dean of the College of Cardinals and played a significant role between John Paul II’s death and the election of the pope. This included summoning the conclave for the election.

Because of his long service to Pope John Paul 2 in the Vatican, he was respected and well-known by the majority of cardinals who elected them. After presided at John Paul’s funeral Mass on St. Peter’s Square, his stature increased.

The cardinals elected Benedict to clean up the church, which was still suffering from the clerical sexual abuse scandals. This was due to his deep understanding of its workings, having spent twenty-four years in the Vatican alongside his predecessor.

Retirement

On February 11, 2013, Pope Benedict announced his surprise retirement in Latin to a room full of cardinals at the Vatican. Many Vatican watchers saw him suddenly in a new and innovative light after his retirement. “conservative,” This was how he was mostly referred to throughout his pontificate.

Pope Francis from Argentina succeeded him, elected March 13, 2013.

Only six others popes are believed to have resigned There have been 2,000 years worth of church history. The most recent was Gregory XII, in 1415. Many speculated that Benedict had resigned because of scandals, but he stated in a 2016 interview that it was his decision.duty“His health was declining, and he couldn’t keep up with the demands of the job.

According to Vatican officials, Benedict continued to walk, write, and pray in the Vatican gardens even though he was frail. He had also occasional visits from Pope FrancisHis Majesty, the cardinals brother and friends.

At 93 years old, Benedict went to Bavaria to visit Georg, a man he had known for many years. This was the first time that Benedict had left the Vatican and Italy since his resignation seven years ago.

In 2022, the retired, infirm pope asked for forgiveness in writing. “grievous faults” He denied any wrongdoing in his past handling of cases of church sex abuse, but he did not deny any specific or personal wrongdoing. In response to a German independent report about clerical sexual abuse, he responded in January 2012. This report had criticised Benedict’s handling of four cases during his time as archbishop of Munich.

Some experts and victim groups said that the report’s findings had tarnished Pope John Paul II’s legacy as one the most respected Catholic theologians. While other conservative supporters, who were critical of the current pope, supported his actions.

Giovanna Chrirri, the Vatican reporter who immediately understood Benedict’s surprise announcement in Latin, was a global sensation. She spoke to ABC News “he was not very understood as pope and was a victim of rather radicalized prejudices which made him disliked by many.”

But, she said, “people’s perception of him changed with his resignation and his symbolic and dramatic temporary departure by helicopter from the Vatican on Feb. 28, 2013, the day of his resignation.”

The entire scene was shown live to millions across the globe.

 

 

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