Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Died at 95

The Vatican announced Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI passed away Saturday morning at 9:34 a.m. He was 95 years of age.  

Outside of the United States, he is remembered most quickly. Catholic Church for his surprise resignation — the first papal abdication since 1415 — and subsequent life as the world’s first “pope emeritus” In the hundreds. 

Benedict was born Joseph Ratzinger in Bavaria on April 16, 1927. After World War I, he was born in Germany to a Nazi regime that was growing in power.  

His Roman Catholic family — harassed and punished by the Nazi Party for their opposition to state policies — shaped his desire to commit to the church. 

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Ratzinger was inspired to become a priest at an early stage when he was assigned to present flowers to Archbishop Michael von Faulhaber, of Munich. Seeing the clergyman’s crimson robes and refined demeanor, the five-year-old Ratzinger declared he would become a cardinal. 

“It was the way the cardinal looked, his bearing, and the knickerbockers he was wearing that made such an impression on him,” Benedict was interviewed by the New York Times once. 

Ratzinger, at the age of 14 years old, was required by law to join the Hitler Youth along with all other German children his age. Ratzinger resented the organization and became horrified after his cousin, who suffered from Down’s syndrome, was abducted and killed by the government as part of their Aktion T4 campaign. 

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Ratzinger entered seminary but was drafted into anti-aircraft corps in 1943, and then into the regular army during World War II. He left the German military in 1945.  

According to a 1993 interview with Time Magazine, Benedict stated that he left the military because he saw the horrors of war. This included the death camps for Jews in Hungary. 

He was captured by American forces, held prisoner of war for several months, before he returned to Germany with his brother Georg. 

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Ratzinger and his brother were ordained on the same day in 1951, receiving Holy Orders from the same cardinal who had inspired Benedict’s decision to enter the priesthood as a child. 

His outstanding work in Christology and theology saw him be promoted to Archbishop at Munich and Freising in May 1977. He was promoted quickly to cardinal in June 1977 by Pope Paul VI. 

Cardinal Ratzinger was a Catholic icon because of his prolific writing and intense scholarship.  

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His bibliography — volumes of works that span from his earliest years of the priesthood through his papacy and beyond — includes encyclicals on morality, explorations of the life of Jesus, and retrospective looks at church history. 

His most important early contribution was probably the founding of Theological Journal. CommunioThe journal was a major source of Catholic thought in the country. 

He also served as a cardinal in undergrad, and was one of the early pioneers to tackle the problem of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. Pope St. John Paul II.  

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Cardinal Ratzinger convinced the pope that individual dioceses would no longer have authority over abuse claims. Instead, jurisdiction was given to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. 

With John Paul II’s attention, Benedict oversaw the radical transformation of abuse cases and personally pushed for investigations into multiple prelates later prosecuted or forced to resign. 

However, critics of Benedict claim While Archbishop of Munich, he failed in his duty to take action on four cases involving abuse. Benedict apologised for the failures of his archdiocesan leadership but strongly denied any cooperation in ignoring abuse till his death.

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2005 saw Benedict elected to the papacy. Later, he claimed that he had prayed for his selection during the conclave, but was forced to accept that God was calling him to greater service. 

Benedict was criticised for blaming the string of clergy sex-abuse scandals on 1960’s sexual revolution, homosexual acceptance, and widespread access of pornography. These radical socio-sexual changes in the culture and landscape of seminaries set the stage for decades worth of abuse, he argued. 

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Benedict was well-known for his taste in pontifical fashion. The pope regularly donned intricate and ornate vestments for mass — some historical, some bespoken. The mozzetta, a red-and-white fur mantle, the camauro (a fluffy winter cap), and the leather papal boots were all resurrected by him. 

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His focus on beautiful worship clothes earned him the moniker “The Pope of Aesthetics.” He did not forego the papal tiara, as he had done so with his predecessors. 

Benedict’s theology grew directly out of his predecessors, emphasizing both the rigidity of the church’s doctrine but pushing for an evolution in structure and mentality. 

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Benedict advocated for greater cooperation between the Catholic Church, other religions, and most importantly Islam and Judaism. He advocated greater understanding and reconciliation between Protestant churches, despite his firm rejection of Protestantism. 

The pope saw Christianity as a logical reality, which could be slowly understood and studied piece by piece. The Theory of Evolution was approved by him. He reminded Catholics that science is not in conflict with religion and Genesis was not considered an easy text by early Christian communities. 

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Writings by Benedict throughout his papacy emphasized belief in the dual natures of Jesus Christ — human and divine — and the historicity of the messiah’s life. 

Benedict, 85 years old and resigning from his post in February 2013, was the first pope to do so in many centuries. 

“I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise [of the pontificate],” He spoke that same time. 

After a brief Conclave, the College of Cardinals elected Pope Francis as Benedict’s replacement in the same year. 

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From Pope Francis’s ascension onward, the former pontiff went by the title “Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI,” But, per canon law he had no authority over the church.

A small, but vocal group of Catholics refused to accept the resignation of Pope emeritus. 

Small enclaves of hyper-traditionalist Catholics held to the belief that Benedict’s resignation was in some way illegitimate or coerced. Many believed Francis was an antipope. Others claimed Benedict was secretly the true pope.  

These were often criticized by Benedict. “sedevacantist” groups — begging them to accept that his resignation was his own choice and one that he did not regret. 

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Pope Francis is a strong supporter of Benedict. He has also spoken highly of Benedict’s predecessor as both a priest and theologian. 

Both of them have been photographed frequently together, often attending events or celebrating holy days. The popes often prayed together and Benedict was kind enough to speak approvingly about his successor in rare interviews. 

Benedict even attended Pope Francis’s ceremony appointing 19 new cardinals in 2014. 

After his retirement, Benedict lived at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery of Vatican City where he continued writing and praying until his death. 

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On June 29, 2021, Benedict celebrated the Platinum Jubilee — 70th anniversary — of his ordination into the priesthood. 

Pope Francis, asked in 2022 if he would resign in the event he was incapable of fulfilling his role, lauded Benedict’s decision, calling his abdication “a great example” of how to address popes’ longevity in the modern age. 

This report was compiled by the Associated Press.

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