Pope Benedict XVI

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Cross That Benedict Donated to German Parish Is Stolen

Unknown thieves broke into Bavarian church on Monday, lifted pectoral cross from display case

(Newser) - A cross bequeathed by the late Pope Benedict XVI to a parish in his German home region of Bavaria has been stolen from the church where it was exhibited, police said Tuesday. A display case on the wall of the town church in Traunstein was broken open by unknown perpetrators...

Francis' Funeral Homily Upsets Benedict Supporters

Some find sermon generic, though the pope emeritus had requested simplicity

(Newser) - "You could have given the same homily for anybody, any cardinal, any bishop or even the butcher next door." "It was almost as if Pope Francis had gone to his files and looked under the file 'funeral homily.'" "He could have delivered this...

For the First Time in Centuries, Pope Presides Over Pope's Funeral

50K attended service for Benedict XVI

(Newser) - With bells tolling, tens of thousands of faithful, political leaders, and the pope himself mourned Benedict XVI, the German theologian who made history by resigning the papacy, at a rare requiem Mass Thursday for a dead pontiff presided over by a living one. The crowd applauded as pallbearers carried Benedict'...

Crowds Descend on Vatican to Pay Final Respects to Benedict

Body of late pope emeritus to lie in state through Wednesday; funeral is on Thursday

(Newser) - Thousands are converging upon the Vatican to say their final goodbyes to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who died Saturday at the age of 95. Monday is the first day in which the faithful can visit St. Peter's Basilica to view Benedict lying in state, where he'll be for...

Benedict Did the Most to Battle Clergy Abuse but Was Criticized

As cardinal and pope, he pursued accountability while taking no responsibility himself

(Newser) - Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is rightly credited with having been one of the 20th century's most prolific Catholic theologians, a teacher-pope who preached the faith through books, sermons, and speeches. But he rarely received credit for another important aspect of his legacy: having done more than anyone before him...

Benedict, First Pope to Resign in 600 Years, Dead at 95

Pope Francis will celebrate his funeral

(Newser) - Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the shy German theologian who tried to reawaken Christianity in a secularized Europe but will forever be remembered as the first pontiff in 600 years to resign from the job, died Saturday at age 95. (He had been in failing health .) Pope Francis will celebrate...

Benedict's Worsening Health Spurs Questions of What's Next

Vatican hasn't published rituals, procedures to follow when a pope emeritus dies

(Newser) - The Vatican has detailed rituals and procedures to follow when a pope dies, but it hasn't published such rules for a pope emeritus. As a result, official word Wednesday that the health of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had worsened prompted questions about what happens if and when he dies....

Pope Francis: Benedict Is 'Very Sick'

Pontiff's predecessor looked 'exceptionally weak' in last photo of him earlier this month

(Newser) - Pope Francis often asks for prayers for various people in need. At the end of his weekly address at the Vatican on Wednesday, however, he had a surprise request. "I would like to ask all of you for a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict, who, in silence, is...

Benedict Seeks Forgiveness Over Handling of Abuse Cases
Retired Pope Asks
for Forgiveness
Feb 8, 2022 1:26 PM CST

Retired Pope Asks for Forgiveness

In connection with his handling of abuse cases, though Benedict admits no wrongdoing

(Newser) - Retired Pope Benedict XVI asked forgiveness Tuesday for any "grievous faults" in his handling of clergy sex abuse cases, but admitted to no personal or specific wrongdoing. His comments came after an independent report criticized his actions in four cases while he was archbishop of Munich, Germany, per the...

Pope: I Actually Was at Meeting on Priest Accused of Abuse

Benedict had originally said he hadn't attended, blames discrepancy on 'editing' mistake

(Newser) - Update: Pope Benedict XVI has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in the Catholic Church's sex abuse scandal, but there's been a shift in at least one story. Per the Catholic News Agency and CNN , the pontiff had originally told investigators he hadn't attended a January 1980 meeting of archdiocesan...

Benedict Hopes to Reach the Afterlife 'Soon'

So writes retired pope in a letter following the death of a close friend

(Newser) - Retired Pope Benedict XVI has said he hopes to soon join a beloved professor friend in "the afterlife," in a sign that the 94-year-old pontiff is not only accepting his eventual death but welcoming it. Benedict penned an Oct. 2 letter to a German priest, thanking him for...

Vatican Butler in 'Vatileaks' Scandal Dies
Butler Who Leaked
Pope's Papers Dies
OBITUARY
Nov 27, 2020 7:26 AM CST

Butler Who Leaked Pope's Papers Dies

Paolo Gabriele says Holy Spirit guided him to expose corruption

(Newser) - Paolo Gabriele said he loved Pope Benedict XVI "as a son loves a father"—and he leaked the pope's papers to the media "out of visceral love for the church of Christ and for its visible head on Earth." The Vatican says Gabriele, the pope'...

That's Not Quite What the Pope Meant: Vatican

Two answers on same-sex civil unions confusingly became one, letter tells bishops

(Newser) - Pope Francis' comments endorsing civil unions for same-sex couples really didn't, the Vatican says. A letter has been sent out saying that the film Francesco took the pope's answers in a 2019 interview out of context, putting two answers to different questions together to leave the impression that...

Benedict Suggests New Title for John Paul II

Only two predecessors have been given the title 'the Great'

(Newser) - Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI is floating the idea that St. John Paul II have another title added to his name—"the Great." Only two other popes have received the honorific. John Paul's longtime secretary, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, held a press conference in Krakow, Poland, on Friday to...

Ex-Pope Links Gay Marriage to the Antichrist

Benedict accuses critics of wanting to silence him

(Newser) - Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI—who spoke of staying "hidden from the world" when he became the first pontiff to resign in almost 600 years—is in the news once again. In an interview for a new biography out Monday in Germany, he accuses critics of seeking to "silence"...

Cardinal Caught in Celibacy Storm Denounces 'Brutality'

(Newser) - A Vatican cardinal at the center of a storm over a book about celibacy and the Catholic priesthood is denouncing the "brutality" of criticism directed at him and his collaborator, Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, the AP reports. In an interview published Saturday, Cardinal Robert Sarah doubled down on his...

Hoping for a Pope Fight? One Just Took a Step Back

Benedict has name removed as co-author from controversial pro-priesthood celibacy book

(Newser) - If you were hoping that there'd be a bona fide public bickering between Pope Francis and his predecessor, you may have to tamp down your expectations. The current pope has reportedly been mulling whether to allow married men to become priests in some cases, and news broke this week...

Benedict Breaks His Silence as Pope Emeritus

Makes it clear he doesn't like the idea of lifting celibacy rules, now under consideration

(Newser) - A retired 92-year-old man has broken his silence to insist that his former colleagues should never have sex. Pope Benedict XVI, who adopted the title "pope emeritus" after retiring in 2013, argues that priestly celibacy is essential in a new book, "From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood,...

Benedict Emerges to Pin Sex Abuse on Sexual Revolution

He publishes a 6K-word letter 'to assist in this difficult hour'

(Newser) - Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has emerged from the shadows with a new letter that assigns blame for the clergy abuse crisis. In a 6,000-word letter whose authenticity was confirmed by Benedict's personal secretary, Benedict begins by writing that his remarks are intended "to assist in this difficult...

Pope: Having Gays in the Priesthood 'Worries Me'

Says some societies consider homosexuality 'fashionable'

(Newser) - Pope Francis has been quoted in an upcoming book as saying that having gays in the clergy "is something that worries me" and remarking that some societies consider homosexuality a "fashionable" lifestyle. Italian daily Corriere della Sera's website Saturday ran excerpts of the book, in which Francis...

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