Pope Benedict XVI, Who Resigned in 2013, Dies at 95
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Pope Benedict XVI died Saturday at the age of 95. Benedict served as head of the Catholic Church from 2005 until 2013, when he became the first Pope in 600 years to resign from the position, citing poor health.
Background: Pope Benedict XVI, born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, came of age in Nazi Germany. Conscripted into the military during the second world war, Benedict deserted his post in April 1945. He was ordained into the Catholic Church in 1951 and spent several years teaching and studying theology, writing over 60 books between 1963 and 2013. In 1977, he was appointed bishop of Munich and shortly after was elevated to a cardinal.
Tenure as Pope: Benedict succeeded Pope John Paul II in 2005. A beloved figure among conservative Catholics for his devotion to traditionalism and outspoken criticism of an increasingly secular Europe, Benedict guided the Catholic Church through multiple controversies and scandals during his short stint as Pope, including corruption in the Vatican and a global sex abuse scandal. In his final years as Pope, Benedict defrocked nearly 400 priests for sexually abusing children.
Funeral: Benedict’s funeral will reportedly be held on January 5, 2023, and be led by his successor, Pope Francis.
How the Media is Covering It: The death of Pope Benedict XVI is the top story on most outlets across the spectrum Saturday. A New York Post article called Benedict a “a quiet, unassuming intellectual.” An Associated Press article contrasted the traditionalist Benedict with his more progressive successor, Francis.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Right
Pope Benedict XVI dead at 95
Pope Benedict XVI, a fierce defender of church dogma who became the first pontiff in six centuries to abdicate the papacy, died Saturday morning. He was 95 years old.
Benedict XVI died at 9:34 AM local time in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in Vatican City, where he resided following his resignation, according to Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni.
Benedict XVI’s body will lie in state at Saint Peter’s Basilica beginning on Jan. 2.
The funeral service for Pope Emeritus is scheduled to take place in St. Peter’s Square on Jan. 5....
From the Center
Former Pope Benedict XVI dies at 95
Former Pope Benedict XVI has died, aged 95, almost a decade after he stood down because of ailing health.
He led the Catholic Church for fewer than eight years until, in 2013, he became the first Pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415.
Benedict spent his final years at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery within the walls of the Vatican where he passed away at 09:34 (08:34 GMT) on Saturday.
His successor Pope Francis will lead the funeral on 5 January.
The Vatican said the body of the Pope Emeritus...
From the Left
Benedict XVI, reluctant pope who chose to retire, dies at 95
He was the reluctant pope, a shy bookworm who preferred solitary walks in the Alps and Mozart piano concertos to the public glare and majesty of Vatican pageantry. When Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI and was thrust into the footsteps of his beloved and charismatic predecessor, he said he felt a guillotine had come down on him.
So it should have come as little surprise that with a few words uttered in Latin on a Vatican holiday in 2013, Benedict ended it all, announcing that he would become...
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