The Episcopal Trial of Gregory XII: Benedict’s Outburst in the Cross-Catholic Corinthian Era
While not quite unprecedented, Benedict’s resignation was highly unusual. Popes typically hold office until death, and the last pope to step down was Gregory XII, who quit in 1415 to end a civil war within the church.
In his tone, demeanor and actions, Benedict was notably different from his predecessor. Where John Paul wowed crowds around the world with his mastery of numerous languages, Benedict’s influence was felt through his erudite writings and theological rigor.
Benedict advocated for a back-to-basics approach as Pope. Three of his encyclicals – letters from the Pope to Catholics around the world – were based on the theological virtues of faith, hope and love.
In 2002, he asked Pope JohnPaul II to deal swiftly with priests accused of sexual abuse because he wanted all accusations to be routed to his office. The church says the Vatican defrocked almost 900 priests for sexually molesting or raping children. During that time, his office had received 3,400 accusations, according to the church.
Joseph Ratzinger During the First World War II – The Birth of the Benedict XVI and the Impact on the Church in the Middle East
Joseph Ratzinger was born and raised in Bavaria, where he briefly served in the Hitler Youth, despite his objections, and the German military during World War II. His father disliked the Nazis according to biographers.
The first German pope since the 11th century was chosen in 2005, when he was dean of the College ofCardinals. At the time, the church was facing several pressing issues, including declining popularity in parts of the world and a growing crisis over its role in handling sexual abuse accusations against priests.
In 1981 he was the head of the Vatican office that oversees the doctrine of faith and morals in the Catholic world.
His influence was felt in the United States. In 1984 Ratzinger ordered the Dominicans to investigate Matthew Fox because he was a monk. The Vatican expelled Fox from the order in 1993.
In 1999, Ratzinger effectively silenced an American nun and priest engaged in LGBTQ ministry because they would not affirm the “Church’s teaching regarding the intrinsic evil of homosexual acts.” The nun and priest were “permanently prohibited from any pastoral work involving homosexual persons.”
Pope John Paul II was said to have asked Ratzinger to be a librarian at the Vatican’s library. John Paul didn’t want to do that.
As the conclave to appoint Pope John Paul II’s successor went on, Ratzinger said he quickly realized that he would be elected as the new Pope – though he was reluctant to assume the mantel of St. Peter.
Upon his election, Ratzinger took the name Benedict XVI as a nod to church history, he said. He chose the name to honor Benedict XV, who pursued peace during World War I, and the original St. Benedict, a monk “whose life evokes the Christian roots of Europe,” Ratzinger said.
“In a world which he considered relativist and secular, his main thrust was to re-establish a sense of Catholic identity for Catholics themselves,” said Delia Gallagher, CNN’s Vatican correspondent.
His remarks were sharply criticized by heads of states in the Middle East and Muslim groups throughout the world. In the predominantly Muslim countries of Iraq, and elsewhere, effigy of Benedict were burned.
New rules were put in place that year to stop abuse. The church can prosecute suspected abusers for 20 years after the incidents happened, up from 10 years previously. The rules also made it a church crime to download child pornography and allowed the pope to remove a priest without a formal Vatican trial.
In some cases, Benedict acted immediately when he removed the Mexican priest, who founded the Legion of Christ, after years of allegations that he had sexually abused children.
“I would hate for him to be remembered as someone who did the right thing because from our perspective, Pope Benedict’s record has been abysmal,” said Blaine, who died in 2017.
In 2010, The New York Times reported that church officials, including Ratzinger, had failed to act in the case of a Wisconsin priest accused of molesting up to 200 boys. The Times reported that church officials stopped proceedings against the priest after he wrote Ratzinger.
The Two Popes: The Case for a Stranger’s Life in the Light of a Victorious Exile in Vatican City, 1976-2019
Since then, Benedict, who chose the name Pope Emeritus and continued to wear the traditional papal white, rarely left his monastery high on a hill in Vatican City, where he promised to live a “hidden life.”
The contrast between the two men was dramatized in a 2019 Netflix film, “The Two Popes,” which earned Anthony Hopkins an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Benedict.
An American Jesuit who has published his works at an American publisher said the former Pope probably knew conservatives were campaigning against him.
Ratzinger was known as “Cardinal No” for his calls to ordain women as priests and his efforts to crack down on the liberation theology movement.
He worked on a larger project, which started in the 1960’s and involved a meditation on Vatican II and continued until 2020, when he was joined by his close friend Cardinal Robert Sarah.
Editor’s Note: Jay Parini, a poet and novelist, teaches at Middlebury College. He is the author of “The Way of Jesus: Living a Spiritual and Ethical Life.” His views are expressed in the commentary. Read more opinion articles on CNN.
Revisiting the Faith of the Apostle Pauline Keane: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration to the Resurrection
Some questions may now be asked about who the former pontiff was. How did his papacy affect the Christian – especially the Roman Catholic – world? What will he be remembered for?
Indeed, his intellect shines through in much of his writing, which includes “Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration,” a readable and engaging biography of the Christ. His study of Mary is full of admirable insights into the Marian tradition.
It was a time of obvious stress for the church, which is why the book ” From the Depths of our Hearts” was written, but it does not break new ground nor do it seek to change anything. He spoke about a dark time for the priests in this book. And he certainly nailed that one.
He rose through the ranks after being ordination to the priest, eventually becoming a theologian at various universities. It must have come as a relief for him to return to the life of the mind!
He became the dean of the College of St Louis in 2002 because of his conservative views, even though fellow priests admired his commitment to Catholic orthodoxy. His books covered a wide range of topics, including birth control, homosexuality, and the dialogue between faiths. What he most disliked was what he called the “dictatorship of relativism.” He argued that a friendship with Christ will help us distinguish truth from lies and give us a tool to do so.
Yet his views, often marked by inflexibility, earned him the nickname “God’s Rottweiler,” and sometimes he outraged the wider public, as when in 2006 – his first year in the papacy – he attacked Islam, going after Muhammad in a way that created an uproar. “Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman,” he infamously said. The tenor of his remarks was so egregious that The New York Times, in an editorial, urged him to make amends: “He needs to offer a deep and persuasive apology, demonstrating that words can also heal.” Benedict responded by saying he “deeply regretted” that his words “sounded offensive to the sensibility of Muslim believers,” but the apology was hardly sufficient.
Former Pope Benedict XVI, who died Saturday in a monastery in the Vatican at the age of 95, asked for forgiveness for those he has “wronged” in the spiritual testament published following his death.
In the letter dated August 29, 2006, the former pope thanked God for guiding him “well” throughout life. He said he was grateful to his parents who he said gave him life during a difficult time.
He didn’t ask for forgiveness for the Catholic Church’s handling of the sexual abuse accusations against priests.