Pope Benedict XVI resigned from his office for the first time in 600 years in February 2013, however he has since passed away after Pope Francis issued a health warning.
Pope Francis’s announcement:
Pope Benedict XVI, who left office in February 2013 and was the first pope to do so in 600 years, passed away at the age of 95. He spent his dying hours at a convent at the Vatican.
When Pope Francis said: “I’d like to ask all of you for a special prayer for Emeritus Pope Benedict, who, in silence, is supporting the church, I remind you that he is extremely sick, this week, I made it clear that he was ill.
Pope Benedict reign:
On April 19, 2005, Pope Benedict was chosen to succeed the 27-year-old, wildly popular Pope John Paul II. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the former name of Pope Benedict, served as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s director for 25 years (their doctrinal office).
His eight-year pontificate was marred by various conflicts that damaged his reputation as a theological conservative, including claims that he insulted Islam by implying that it was intrinsically violent. According to the BBC, Pope Benedict cited his “old age” as the reason for his resignation since it hindered him from performing the duties of the position adequately.
Others, however, blame his resignation on scandals like the “Vatileaks” scandal, which saw a leak of Vatican records in 2012 that revealed corruption within the organisation; his resignation took place the following year.
During his weekly public audience at the Vatican, Francis disclosed that his 95-year-old predecessor Benedict was “extremely unwell” and he begged the faithful to pray for him.
On December 31, 2022, in the early morning, the Vatican announced that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had passed away.
vatican statement revealed:
Matteo Bruni, the Vatican’s spokesperson, said in a statement: “I must break the sad news that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI passed away today at 9:34 at the Vatican’s Mater Ecclesia Monastery. We’ll do our best to provide more details as soon as we can.”
Major controversies during his era:
- 9–14 September 2006: Benedict travels to his native Bavaria. With a speech that quotes a Byzantine ruler from the 14th century who said that Islam had only brought bad to the world and was spread by the sword, he incites outrage from the Muslim world. A few days later, Benedict expressed his “deep regret” for the Muslim response to his address, which he claims was misinterpreted.
2) On November 6, 2010, Benedict makes his two-day trip to Spain. In yet another sharp rebuke of what he dubbed Spain’s “aggressive secularism,” Pope takes aim at homosexual marriage and abortion, both of which were recently legalised in that country, during a Mass to dedicate Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia basilica.
2012
3) Throughout the year, the “Vatileaks” controversy, which exposed infighting among Benedict’s advisers and overall dysfunction at the core of the Church’s central government, the Curia, shakes Benedict’s papacy. The controversy revealed claims of financial impropriety and the formation of a purported “gay lobby” that allegedly utilised extortion to defend its members.
4) On October 6, a Vatican court condemns Benedict’s former butler to one and a half years in prison after finding him guilty of stealing confidential documents. According to Paolo Gabriele, his actions were motivated by a “visceral” passion for the pope and the Roman Catholic Church. Gabriele was later pardoned by Benedict, and the Vatican later secured him employment in a medical facility. Gabriele passed away in 2020.
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