At the age of 95, Pope Benedict XVI passed away, as announced by the Vatican, with the tolling of bells echoing through St. Peter’s Square.
Who was Pope Benedict XVI?
Pope Benedict served as the Holy Father for eight years before stepping down in 2013 due to his old age, marking the first resignation in over 600 years since 1415.
Although he relinquished his position, Pope Benedict, also known as Pope Emeritus, remained at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery within the Vatican until his passing.
For his successor, Pope Francis, Pope Benedict, or more affectionately called Pope Emeritus, is considered a “gift to the church.”
Benedict XVI, born Joseph Alois Ratzinger on April 16, 1927, in Germany, became a priest in 1951 and later distinguished himself as a theology professor at various German universities. Despite his limited pastoral experience, he rose through the ranks, becoming Archbishop of Munich in 1977, a cardinal in 1981, and eventually Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith before ascending to the papacy.
A close confidant of the late Pope John Paul II, now Saint John Paul II, Pope Benedict was described as “the main intellectual force in the Church” since the 1980s.
Aside from his native German, Pope Benedict XVI was proficient in several other languages, including French, Italian, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Latin, Biblical Hebrew, and Biblical Greek. Apart from his scholarly pursuits, he was also a skilled pianist, favoring compositions by Mozart and Bach, and a member of various social science academies, such as the French Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques.
Pope Benedict XVI stirred controversy due to his positions on various issues, facing criticism for his handling of sexual abuse cases within the Catholic Church and his opposition to condom use, even in areas with high rates of HIV transmission.
DREAM OF BECOMING A CARDINAL
At the tender age of 5, Pope Benedict XVI dreamt of becoming a cardinal after a visit from Michael von Faulhaber, the Cardinal Archbishop of Munich.
After completing elementary school, at the age of 12, he entered the seminary until the outbreak of the war in 1942, where he was compelled to enlist as a soldier in the German Infantry. Following the war in 1945, he returned to the seminary and was ordained a priest in 1951, with Cardinal Michael, his childhood inspiration, presiding over his ordination.
Before his papal election, Pope Benedict was included in Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. He never aspired to become Pope but rather desired to retire in his homeland and devote his remaining years to writing books, once mentioning, “At a certain point, I prayed to God, ‘please don’t do this to me’…Evidently, this time He didn’t listen to me.”
He chose the papal name Benedict, meaning “the blessed,” in homage to Pope Benedict XV, who served during World War I, and St. Benedict of Nursia, the founder of Benedictine monasteries.
Pope Benedict spearheaded the beatification of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. Typically, the beatification process begins five years after a person’s death, but Pope Benedict waived this requirement due to “exceptional circumstances.”
FRIENDSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST
A recurring theme in Pope Benedict’s homilies was his reminder to be friends with Jesus.
“Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors for Christ!”
In his own words, Pope Benedict explained that there should be no fear in inviting Jesus into our lives, saying, “If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to Him, If we let Jesus Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely. Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation. When we give ourselves to Him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ – and you will find true life.”
Although Pope Benedict XVI has passed away, his teachings will continue to resonate with Catholics through the books he left behind, including Jesus of Nazareth, which echoes his constant reminder to develop a relationship with Jesus.
Pope Benedict XVI passed away on December 31, 2022, at 9:34 am (Central European time), according to his longtime secretary, Georg Gänswein. His final words were “Signore ti amo,” Italian for “Lord, I love you.”
Since January 2, 2023, Pope Benedict’s body has rested in St. Peter’s Square, with his wish for a simple funeral to be held on January 5, his body laid to rest in the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica.
His successor, Pope Francis, led the funeral for the late Holy Father.
