‘So kind’: Pope Francis hails Benedict XVI, dead aged 95
Pope Francis praises Emeritus Benedict XVI after the retired pope dies aged 95, as other world leaders send their tributes.
Pope Francis has hailed Emeritus Benedict XVI’s kindness and praised his testimony of faith and prayer, especially in his final years, after the retired pope died on New Year’s Eve, aged 95.
Speaking during a New Year’s Eve vigil, Francis said only God knew of Benedict’s sacrifices offered for the good of the church.
“We are moved as we recall him such a noble person, so kind,” Francis said.
“And we feel such gratitude in our hearts, gratitude for God for having given him to the church and the world; gratitude to him for the good he accomplished and above all for his witness of faith and prayer especially in these last years of his recollected life.”
King Charles has spoken of a deep sadness about the death of Benedict XVI, as other world leaders also sent fulsome praise and condolences.
Benedict XVI died on Saturday morning, and his “simple” funeral will be held this Thursday. His body will lie in state at St Peter’s Basilica from Monday, the Vatican has announced.
The Holy See said that the current pope, Francis, will oversee Benedict’s funeral, in St Peter’s Square on January 5 at 8.30pm Sydney time. This will be the first time a current pope will farewell a predecessor.
The Vatican announced Benedict’s death with a statement: ”With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today (Saturday) at 9:34am in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican”.
King Charles paid his respects to Pope Francis on Saturday praising Benedict’s constant efforts to promote peace between the global Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church, adding he received the news with “deep sadness”. He added: “I remember with fondness my meeting with His Holiness during my visit to the Vatican in 2009. His visit to the United Kingdom in 2010 was important in strengthening the relations between the Holy See and the United Kingdom.”
Benedict, whose real name was Joseph Ratzinger, had lived in the Vatican since controversially stepping down from the papal role in 2013 – the first Pope to do so in 600 years.
At the time Benedict said his decision to step aside was because of declining physical and mental health. He made the announcement in Latin to the cardinals claiming he had had a mystical experience. In recent years he had been living a quiet life in the Vatican out of public view, after previously giving lectures, writing papers and commenting on issues within the church which created some tensions inside the Vatican.
When Benedict was elected to head the church in 2005 he was considered to be “God’s Rottweiler” as he had headed the Vatican’s doctrinal office known as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for nearly a quarter of a century, and was the right-hand man to his predecessor, Pope John Paul II.
Deeply pious and conservative when he stepped on to the Vatican balcony he said: “The cardinals have elected me, a simple, modest worker in the Lord’s vineyard.”
But this was a difficult time for the Catholic Church mired in child sex scandals and claims of institutional cover ups.
Back then Cardinal George Pell, who was involved in electing Cardinal Ratzinger, said he was a rather shy man, exquisitely courteous with a very pleasant and friendly demeanour. Cardinal Pell predicted that Pope Benedict would be increasingly deeply loved, yet his papacy would be controversial.
Benedict was the first pontiff to apologise with “deep remorse” for the church’s involvement in child sexual abuse but even he was to be later involved in accusations of pedophilia cover-ups.
Just a year ago the German church released a report detailing four cases of priests being involved in sexual abuse in the 1980s at a time Benedict was the Munich archbishop.
In one of his last public statements Benedict responded to that report, requesting forgiveness from abuse survivors and saying that his pain was all the greater as he had “borne great responsibility in the Catholic Church” . He apologised for providing false information during the Munich investigation about a meeting discussing a pedophile priest who remained in office, which he insisted was an oversight, not done with ill intent.
Advisers to Benedict said he was “not aware of sexual abuse committed or suspicion of sexual abuse committed by priests” in any of the cases mentioned in the report.
German newspaper Deutsche Welle reflected upon Benedict’s papacy saying: “A German pope was a big deal. Ratzinger’s appointment came just 60 years after the end of World War II and the genocide of Europe’s Jews at the hands of the Nazis. Moreover, it was German theologian Martin Luther who catalysed the division of Western Christendom.’’
Within minutes of his death, church bells tolled in Marktl am Inn, the small German town near the Austrian border where Benedict was born in 1927.
The head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, said: “I was consoled by a comment I heard that somebody had made in Rome a couple of days ago, where they put it rather beautifully – they said, “The angels are gathering, they’re coming to take him home”.’
Cardinal Nichols noted how Benedict and the Queen died in the same year, at the same age.
“Now, it’s worth remembering they’re the same age, the Queen died at 95, Pope Benedict has died at 95. And there was a great esteem between them, a deep respect,’’ he said.
United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres said Benedict was committed to non-violence and peace.
“I offer my deepest condolences to Catholics and others around the world who were inspired by his life of prayer and tenacious commitment to non-violence and peace,” he said.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Benedict was a great theologian, an observation mirrored by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.
He said: “Pope Benedict was one of the greatest theologians of his age – committed to the faith of the Church and stalwart in its defence. In all things, not least in his writing and his preaching, he looked to Jesus Christ, the image of the invisible God. It was abundantly clear that Christ was the root of his thought and the basis of his prayer.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz tweeted that Benedict was a special church leader and clever theologian.
“As a ‘German’ pope, Benedict XVI was a special church leader for many, not only this country,” Mr Scholz said.
“The world has lost a formative figure of the Catholic Church, an argumentative personality and a clever theologian.”
France President Emmanuel Macron said Benedict strived for a more brotherly world.
Mr Macron tweeted: “My thoughts are with the Catholics of France and the world, bereaved by the departure of his holiness Benedict XVI, who strove with soul and intelligence for a more brotherly world”.
The Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, said the Pope Emeritus was “a man of towering intellect and deep piety [and] was influential as a peritus (expert adviser) at the Second Vatican Council and in the subsequent interpretation and implementation of the Council’’.
Archbishop Fisher added: “Pope Benedict XVI holds a special place in the hearts of Catholics in Australia where he is remembered as ‘the World Youth Day Pope’. In 2008 he gathered with hundreds of thousands of young pilgrims in our harbour city for catechesis and worship.
“Pope Benedict’s connection to Australia was strengthened in 2010, when he canonised St Mary of the Cross Mackillop as Australia’s first recognised saint.’’
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