The latest on the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI:
BERLIN — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is paying tribute to the German-born Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as a “formative figure of the Catholic Church.”
Benedict, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, became the first German pope in centuries when he was elected in 2005.
Scholz said on Twitter Saturday that “as the ‘German’ pope, Benedict XVI was a special church leader for many, not just in this country.”
He said that “the world is losing a formative figure of the Catholic Church, a combative personality and a wise theologian.”
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KEY DEVELOPMENTS:
Benedict XVI, first pope to resign in 600 years, dies at 95
Highlights from the life of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
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BERLIN — The governor of Benedict XVI’s native German region says that “we are mourning our Bavarian pope.”
Bavarian governor Markus Soeder said on Twitter Saturday that “with him, society is losing a persuasive representative of the Catholic Church and one of the most influential theologians of the 20th century.”
Soeder wrote that “many people in his homeland will remember him not just as pope, but also as a humble pastor.”
He noted that “at the same time, he also had to face responsibility for difficult phases in his work.”
The governor said that “he always carried his homeland in his heart.”
The head of the German Bishops’ Conference, Limburg Bishop Georg Baetzing, said that “an impressive theologian and experienced shepherd is leaving us with the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.”
“We are mourning a personality who imparted hope and direction to the church even in difficult times,” Baetzing said in a statement. He voiced “great respect” for Benedict’s “courageous decision” to resign a decade ago.
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VATICAN CITY — The Vatican says Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has died. He was 95.
Benedict was the first pope in 600 years to resign. Benedict had become increasingly frail during his almost 10 years of retirement.
Benedict’s dramatic decision in 2013 to resign paved the way for the conclave that elected Pope Francis. The two popes then lived side-by-side in the Vatican gardens in an unprecedented arrangement that set the stage for future “popes emeritus” to do the same.
The former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger never wanted to be pope. But he was forced to follow in St. John Paul II’s footsteps, running the church during a period of scandal and indifference.
