Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has died at the age of 95. Last Tuesday (27), the Vatican reported that he had a sudden worsening of health. Pope Francis even paid a visit to his predecessor and asked for prayers.
In 2013, Benedict XVI became the first pontiff in 600 years to step down from the papacy. He had assumed the post in 2005 after the death of John Paul II.
Remember below some of the outstanding moments of the pope emeritus.
2005
April 19th: German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office, is elected to succeed Pope John Paul II as the 265th leader of the Roman Catholic Church. He chooses the name Benedict XVI.
2006
September 9th to 14th : The pope visits his Bavarian homeland. He provokes an outcry from the Muslim world with a speech quoting a 14th-century Byzantine emperor who said that Islam only brought evil into the world and was spread by the sword. Days later, Benedict said he was “deeply sorry” for the Muslim reaction to his speech, which he says was misinterpreted.
November 28th to December 1st: The papal trip to Turkey is a conciliatory visit, including prayers with the Grand Mufti of Istanbul facing Mecca at the city’s Blue Mosque.
2007
July 7 : The pope issues a declaration allowing the Tridentine Mass to be celebrated more widely, a demand from Church traditionalists.
2008
February 5th: The pope changes a Latin prayer for Good Friday services by traditionalist Catholics, deleting a reference to Jews and their “blindness” but still urging them to accept Jesus.
2009
January 24th: The pope causes an uproar by lifting the excommunications of four ultra-traditionalist bishops, including a Holocaust denier.
2010
November 6th: Benedict XVI arrives in Spain for a two-day visit. He attacks abortion and gay marriage, recently legalized in Spain, at a Mass to consecrate the Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona, in another scathing critique of what he called Spain’s “aggressive secularism”.
2011
July 25th: The Vatican recalls its ambassador to Ireland after an unprecedented rebuke from the Holy See by the Irish parliament following a report accusing church authorities of covering up sexual abuse.
2012
Over the course of the year, Benedict’s papacy has been rocked by a scandal dubbed “Vatileaks,” in which leaked documents show infighting among Benedict’s aides and general dysfunctions at the heart of the church’s central administration, known as the Curia.
The scandal exposed financial corruption and allegations of a so-called “gay lobby” that used blackmail to protect its members.
October 6th: A Vatican court finds Benedict XVI’s former butler guilty of stealing confidential documents and sentences him to a year and a half in prison.
Paolo Gabriele said he acted out of “guts” love for the Roman Catholic Church and the pope. Benedict XVI later pardoned Gabriele and the Vatican later found him a job at a hospital. Gabriele died in 2020.
2013
February 11: Benedict XVI announces his intention to resign, saying that he no longer has the physical and mental strength to lead the Church. The surprise announcement shocks a gathering of cardinals.
February 28th: Benedict XVI formally steps down, moving temporarily to the papal summer residence south of Rome, and later to a former convent within the Vatican gardens, with his secretary, Archbishop Georg Ganswein, and other aides and staff. doctor.
2022
January 20th: An independent German report alleges that Benedict XVI failed to act on four cases of sexual abuse in his archdiocese when he was archbishop of Munich between 1977 and 1982. Pope Benedict later acknowledges wrongdoing and asks for forgiveness.
December 28th: His successor, Pope Francis, has asked for prayers for the former pontiff, saying Benedict is “very ill”. Vatican informs that the pope emeritus had a sudden worsening of health.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
