The life of Pope Benedict XVI in pictures

A soft-spoken intellectual and scholar, Benedict XVI led the world's 1.3 billion Roman Catholics for eight years, sandwiched between the charismatic pope (now hui saint) John Paul II (1978- 2005), one of the longest papacies in history, and the reformist program of Pope Francis, who began serving in 2013.
As a young clergyman, Benedict, born Joseph Ratzinger, experienced the opening of the Catholic Church to the modern world triggered by the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, in which he participated as a theological adviser .
As prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the theological watchdog of the church, he embraced orthodoxy, opposing theologians dissenting and speaking out against homosexuality, birth control and abortion, and the liberation theology movement in America Latin.
As pope, he witnessed the growing secularization of society, alongside the growing disenchantment of the faithful with an institution considered as unwilling or unable to give a forceful response to the clerical abuse scandal that has rocked the Church for the past few decades.
He attempted to resolve this crisis, becoming the first pope to meet victims. He apologized for the abuses and excommunicated the offending priests. But he was criticized for not going far enough and not punishing those who covered up the attackers.
Benedict XVI will probably be remembered for his resignation at 85 , when he realized that because of his age, his mental and physical forces were "no longer suited to the proper exercise" of church leadership. He wasn't the first pope to step down, but that hadn't happened in almost 600 years. His decision set a precedent that even Francis reflected on, telling a Spanish newspaper this month that he had signed a letter of resignation earlier in his pontificate with a pledge to step down if he could no longer fulfill his duties. .
< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Here is a selection of images from Benedict's long life.
Cardinal Michael von Faulhaber blesses Joseph Ratzinger during his priestly ordination at Freising Cathedral in southern Germany in 1951. Father Ratzinger, 54 years later, would become Pope Benedict XVI.
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World Dec 31, 2022 0 47 Add to Reading List

The life of Pope Benedict XVI in pictures

A soft-spoken intellectual and scholar, Benedict XVI led the world's 1.3 billion Roman Catholics for eight years, sandwiched between the charismatic pope (now hui saint) John Paul II (1978- 2005), one of the longest papacies in history, and the reformist program of Pope Francis, who began serving in 2013.

As a young clergyman, Benedict, born Joseph Ratzinger, experienced the opening of the Catholic Church to the modern world triggered by the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, in which he participated as a theological adviser .

As prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the theological watchdog of the church, he embraced orthodoxy, opposing theologians dissenting and speaking out against homosexuality, birth control and abortion, and the liberation theology movement in America Latin.

As pope, he witnessed the growing secularization of society, alongside the growing disenchantment of the faithful with an institution considered as unwilling or unable to give a forceful response to the clerical abuse scandal that has rocked the Church for the past few decades.

He attempted to resolve this crisis, becoming the first pope to meet victims. He apologized for the abuses and excommunicated the offending priests. But he was criticized for not going far enough and not punishing those who covered up the attackers.

Benedict XVI will probably be remembered for his resignation at 85 , when he realized that because of his age, his mental and physical forces were "no longer suited to the proper exercise" of church leadership. He wasn't the first pope to step down, but that hadn't happened in almost 600 years. His decision set a precedent that even Francis reflected on, telling a Spanish newspaper this month that he had signed a letter of resignation earlier in his pontificate with a pledge to step down if he could no longer fulfill his duties. .

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Here is a selection of images from Benedict's long life.

Cardinal Michael von Faulhaber blesses Joseph Ratzinger during his priestly ordination at Freising Cathedral in southern Germany in 1951. Father Ratzinger, 54 years later, would become Pope Benedict XVI.

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