CNN
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Dignitaries and religious leaders paid their respects to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who died Saturday in a Vatican convent at the age of 95.
BenedictThe first pope in nearly 600 years to resign rather than hold office for life, died Saturday, according to a statement from the Vatican.
Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office, said: “I regret to inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 am at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in Vatican.
Bruni said the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI will be held on Thursday in St Peter’s Square in Vatican City at 9:30 a.m. local time. The funeral will be presided over by Pope Francis.
The body of the former pope will be laid to rest at St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican from Monday for the faithful to bid their farewells, Vatican News reported on Saturday. According to the Pope Emeritus’ wishes, his funeral will be “simple,” Bruni said.
Pope Francis in his first public comments after the death of former Pope Benedict XVI called him a “noble man” and praised his predecessor’s “sacrifice for the good of the church”.
“We are moved to remember him as such a noble, very kind man and we feel incredibly grateful in our hearts, grateful to God for giving him to the church and to the world,” he said. he said Saturday.
Pope Francis paid homage to Benedict in St Peter’s Basilica while presiding over the traditional vespers before New Year’s Day.
“Thank you for all the good things you have done and especially for your witness of faith and prayers, especially during these last years of your life. Only God knows the value of his sacrifices for the good of the church,” said Pope Francis.
News of Benedict’s death came days after Pope Francis ask the faithful to pray for himsaid he was “very ill.”
His health has been declining for a while.
Pope Benedict shocked Catholics and religious professionals around the world on February 11, 2013, when he announced his plans to step down as Pope on the grounds of “advanced age”.
In his farewell address, the outgoing pope promised to “hide” from the world, but he continued to speak out about religious issues in the years after his retirement, contributing to tensions in the community. Catholic Church.
Benedict has been a powerful force in the Catholic Church for decades. Joseph Ratzinger was born in Germany in 1927, the son of a policeman. He was ordained a priest in 1951, a cardinal in 1977, and then principal theological advisor to Pope John Paul II.
According to the Vatican, one of his most important promotions came in 1981 when he assumed the post of head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican body that oversees “the doctrine of faith and morality around the world.” Catholic world”.
Ratzinger became known as “Cardinal Zero” due to his efforts to suppress the liberation theology movement, religious pluralism, and challenge to traditional teachings on issues such as homosexuality. homosexuality, and calls for the ordination of women to the priesthood.
He was elected pope in April 2005, following the death of John Paul II.
He is known to be more conservative than his successor, Pope Francis, who has moved to soften the Vatican’s stance on abortion and homosexuality, and do more to deal with the crisis. The sexual abuse crisis has engulfed the Church in recent years and cast a shadow over it. Benedict’s Legacy.
In April 2019, Benedict discussed the sexual abuse crisis in a public letter, claiming it was partly due to the sexual revolution of the 1960s and the liberalization of religious teachings. virtues of the church.
In January 2020, Benedict was forced to steer clear of a book widely seen as degrading Pope Francis as he pondered whether or not to allow married men to become priests under certain circumstances. certain. The book “From the Deep of Our Hearts,” argues in favor of the centuries-old tradition of celibacy in the Catholic Church. Benedict was initially listed as a co-author, but later clarified that he contributed only part of the text.
A year later, Benedict was fired during his time as archbishop of Munich and Freising, from 1977 to 1982, after publishing a Church-mandated report on abuses by Catholic clergy there.
The report shows that while in office, he was informed of four cases of sexual abuse involving minors – two of which occurred during his time in office – but did not act. It was also revealed that Benedict attended a meeting about an abuser identified as Father X. After the report was made public, Benedict denied allegations he learned in 1980 that the priest was is an abuser.
In a letter released by the Vatican amid a wave of outrage, Benedict XVI wrote that he was “delighted” to face “the last judge of his life,” despite his shortcomings. He also offered a general apology to survivors of the abuse.
Global leaders pay their respects to the former pope after his death. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Church of England, said he “mourned” the former pope.
“Pope Benedict is one of the greatest theologians of his time – committed to the Church’s faith and staunchly defending it,” Welby said in a statement Saturday.
“In all things, especially in writing and preaching, he turned to Jesus Christ, the image of the invisible God. It is clear that Christ was the root of his thought and the basis of his prayer.
“In 2013, Benedict XVI took the courageous and humbling step of resigning as pope, the first Pope to do so since the 15th century. In making this choice freely, he acknowledges the human frailty that affects all of us,” he added.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, said he will remember the former pope with “love and gratitude”.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola wrote on Twitter on Saturday: “So sad to learn of the passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
“Europe mourns him. You can rest in peace.”
The leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, told Pope Francis on Saturday that he received the news of Benedict’s death with “sorrow”, according to a message shared on the official website of the Catholic Church. Moscow Patriarchate.
“The years of the Holy Father’s life marked an epoch in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, which he led during a difficult historical period, associated with many external and internal challenges. in,” Kirill said of Benedict XVI.
Kirill added that the relationship between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church had “developed considerably” during Benedict’s tenure, in an attempt to “transcend the sometimes painful legacy of the past”.
“On behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church, I offer my condolences to you and the flock of the Roman Catholic Church,” he continued.
US President Joe Biden said the late pope “will be remembered as a famous theologian whose lifelong devotion to the Church was guided by his principles and his faith.”
Biden, the second Catholic to hold the office of President of the United States, told of his meeting with Benedict XVI at the Vatican in 2011, saying he missed his “generosity and welcome and conversation. our meaningful story.”
“As he remarked during a visit to the White House in 2008, ‘the need for global solidarity is more urgent than ever, if all people are to live in a way that is worthy of their dignity. ‘ May his focus on philanthropic ministry continue to be an inspiration to all of us,” Biden added.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also paid his respects. “I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI,” Sunak wrote on Twitter Saturday.
“He was a great theologian whose visit to the UK in 2010 was a historic moment for both Catholics and non-Catholics across our country.
New Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni pays tribute to the former pope. “Benedict XVI was a giant of faith and reason. He has dedicated his life to the service of the universal Church and has spoken, and will continue to speak, to the hearts and minds of men with the spiritual, cultural and intellectual depths of his Magisterium. ,” she wrote on Twitter Saturday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is leading Moscow Invasion of Ukrainecalled the former pope “a staunch defender of traditional Christian values.”
