Pope Francis has eulogized his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who passed away at the age of 95.
The Pope stated that Benedict was “noble,” “gentle,” and “given” to the Roman Catholic Church.
Dozens of world leaders, including US Vice President Joe Biden and Brazilian President Lula, have praised the former pope.
Benedict resigned in 2013 due to bad health, becoming the first pope in 600 years to do so. On January 5, his funeral will be placed at the Vatican.
Benedict, the 265th head of the Catholic Church, was a divisive person. While some mourners praised him as a steadfast defender of the church, others criticized his administration for failing to address claims of clerical sexual abuse.
But hours after his death was announced, Pope Francis hailed his “beloved” predecessor, highlighting “his sacrifices rendered for the sake of the Church.”
In the United States, the White House issued a message from Vice President Joe Biden, the second Catholic to hold the nation’s highest position after John F. Kennedy.
Recalling spending time with Benedict at the Vatican in 2011, the president stated that he would be “known as a distinguished theologian whose lifelong devotion to the Church was motivated by his ideals and faith.”
World leaders with sizable Catholic populations have also offered their respects, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni calling Benedict a “giant of faith and reason” and “a wonderful man whom history will never forget.”
Leo Varadkar, the prime minister of Ireland, referred to the previous pope as a “humble laborer in the Lord’s vineyard.”
In Brazil, the world’s largest Catholic nation, the incoming president extended “comfort to the faithful and fans of the Holy Father.”
And his predecessor, President Jair Bolsonaro, praised Benedict’s “masterful work as a great theologian” and stated that he left an “enormous legacy for the Catholic Church, for all Christians, and humanity”.
The new ruler of the United Kingdom, King Charles III, received the news of the death of the former Pope with “great regret.”
In a sympathetic statement to Pope Francis, he praised Benedict’s “continuous efforts to promote peace and goodwill among all people” and his attempts to develop ties between Catholics and Anglicans.
Benedict XVI’s visit to the United Kingdom in 2010 was a historic event for Catholics and non-Catholics alike, according to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, stated that Benedict’s visit altered his image in the United Kingdom.
Cardinal Nichols told that he arrived with the reputation of being “God’s Rottweiler,” but left as “everyone’s favorite great-uncle or just uncle.”
Antonio Guterres, the head of the United Nations, lauded the previous pontiff for his “tenacious dedication to nonviolence and peace.”
Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of Germany, referred to the late pope as “a founding figure of the Catholic Church, a straightforward personality, and a shrewd theologian.”
Joseph Ratzinger was born in Bavaria as Benedict and was named archbishop of Munich in 1977.
His death was met with diverse reactions in the city, with one local describing him as “conservative” and taking pride in the fact that he was German.
Someone else was more critical
“I believed that when he came to power, he would finally breathe new life into the Catholic Church and eradicate celibacy. But unfortunately, he let me down “Christa Herwig told the news agency Reuters.
In 2019, Benedict denounced the sexual freedom of the 1960s and the rejection of God’s message for clergy sexual abuse.
Throughout the majority of his pontificate, the Catholic Church faced allegations, legal claims, and official reports regarding decades of priestly child abuse.
In January of this year, the former pope admitted that mistakes were made in the treatment of abuse cases while he was archbishop of Munich from 1977 to 1982.
The statement was made after a German court investigation into the Catholic Church accused he failed to act in four cases of child sexual assault.
In a letter issued by the Vatican, the former pontiff pleaded for pardon for any “grave error” but denied any misconduct on his own.
The Catholic world has lost an unrivaled repository of theological knowledge, intellectualism, and personal experience with the passing of Pope Benedict XVI.
While little has changed in terms of doctrinal debate at the Vatican in the nearly ten years after he resigned, the papacy’s attitude has evolved.
Pope Francis’ choices of cardinals indicate a distinct move towards Asia and Latin America, which is usually considered a more pastoral attitude.
In recent years, while not appearing to want it, Pope Emeritus has become a lightning rod for those opposed to the current Pope.
There were rumors that Pope Francis, who has been suffering from ill health, was considering resigning but was unwilling to do so if it would result in Rome having three popes.
It was not exactly “The Two Popes,” but despite their differences, there was a great deal of respect between the predecessor and the successor. This is expected to be discussed in the coming days, most notably in Pope Francis’ sermon at Thursday’s burial.
