The World Over November 30, 2023 | Life with Benedict XVI: Abp. Georg Gänswein with Raymond Arroyo

Dec 1, 2023 | Abp*. Georg Gänswein discusses his new book, Who Believes Is Not Alone: My Life Beside Benedict XVI. He talks about working as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI's personal secretary, Benedict XVI's decision to resign and much more.

* Archdiocesan Biblical Apostolate

Pope Benedict XVI – Childhood

Jan 4, 2023 | Discover how was the childhood of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and how important was his family in his decision to become a priest.

Thousands Line Up to Pay Their Respects to Pope Benedict XVI

Jan 2, 2023 | Thousands of people have been queuing to pay their last respects to the late Pope Benedict XVI, whose remains are lying in state at St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

A Chance to Say Goodbye to Benedict Draws Tens of Thousands: The pope emeritus is lying in state in St. Peter’s Basilica, where more than 40,000 mourners, including Roman Catholic faithful and tourists, had paid last respects by Monday afternoon. »

Benedict XVI Lies in State in St. Peter’s Basilica: Thousands of the Roman Catholic faithful and tourists lined up to pay their respects to Benedict XVI, the pope emeritus. »

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Death - Exclusive Interview with Msgr. Georg Gänswein

Dec 31, 2022 | In this exclusive interview with Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Pope Benedict XVI’s personal secretary, EWTN Vatican Bureau Chief, Andreas Thonhauser, sat down with the archbishop for a wide-ranging conversation covering the key moments of Benedict XVI’s papacy from curial reforms, to the “dictatorship of relativism”, abuse cases, the late pontiff’s impressive literary body of work, and what he believes will be Benedict XVI’s legacy.

Former Pope Benedict XVI Dies Aged 95 - BBC News

Dec 31, 2022 | Former Pope Benedict XVI has died at his Vatican residence, aged 95, almost a decade after he stood down. He led the Catholic Church for less than eight years until, in 2013, he became the first Pope to resign due to ailing health since Gregory XII in 1415. For much of his papacy, the Catholic Church faced allegations, legal claims and official reports into decades of child abuse by priests. Earlier this year the former Pope acknowledged that errors had been made in the handling of abuse cases while he was archbishop of Munich between 1977 and 1982.

The German Pope - Benedict XVI | DW Documentary

Dec 31, 2022 | In memoriam Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

On 19 April 2005 Joseph Ratzinger was elected head of the Roman Catholic Church. He took the name Benedict XVI. Critics saw him as the embodiment of emotionless dogma; supporters viewed him as guardian of the true faith.

Benedict XVI. was the first German Pope for almost 500 years and only the second Pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church to resign voluntarily. Even as a young theologian, Ratzinger, born on 16 April 1927 in the Bavarian village of Marktl am Inn, soon carved out a reputation as an outstanding scholar. He initially espoused progressive positions within the church and during the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), tackled the matter of how the life of the church might be directed in the 20th century and beyond.

But at the latest in 1981, when Pope John Paul II. appointed him head of the Catholic Church’s spiritual watchdog, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he began to see himself as guardian of the church’s treasury of faith. As Pope, he denounced the ‘Marxist tendencies’ of the teachings of liberation theology in Latin America and Asia. He demanded the strict separation of church and politics. As pontifex maximus, he saw himself as less of a bridge-builder and more of a guardian of the truth. Time and time again, Pope Benedict XVI. had to respond in the name of the Catholic Church to allegations of abuse leveled at Catholic clergy. During the concluding mass of the International Year for Priests at the Vatican, the Pope issued a public apology. He remained in his post at the helm of the Holy See for eight years. But then, in the year 2013, he suddenly tendered his resignation. He felt his strengths were dwindling and "no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry”. The abdication of Benedict XVI. was the first voluntary resignation of a Pope for more than 700 years. But even in the wake of his retirement, he was haunted by the scandalous conduct of Catholic clerics. An independent report concluded that during his tenure as the Archbishop of Munich, Benedict had known about allegations of sexual misconduct against pastors in his diocese.

This documentary looks at the background to this event, which was highly significant in terms of both world and church politics and gives an insight into the life of the former theology professor, bishop and head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

[This documentary was originally released in 2013 and has since been updated.]

Former Pope Benedict XVI Dies Aged 95

THE GUARDIAN: German predecessor to Pope Francis became first pontiff to step down as head of Catholic church in 600 years

Pope Benedict XVI leads the Ash Wednesday service at the St. Peter’s Basilica on February 13, 2013. Photograph: Franco Origlia/Getty Images
Pope Benedict XVI, who served as leader of the Catholic church from 2005 until his resignation in 2013, has died aged 95, the Vatican has announced.

A statement from Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said: “With sorrow, I inform you that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI passed away today at 9.34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. Further information will be provided as soon as possible.”

His death comes after Pope Francis announced during his weekly audience on 28 December that Benedict was “very sick”.

Benedict’s death brings to a close an unprecedented period in recent history where two popes have co-existed, a situation that has caused tensions within rival camps in the Vatican. It paves the way for his successor, Pope Francis, to consider whether to follow Benedict by retiring at some point – impossible while the outcome would have been three popes.

Benedict, born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger in Germany in 1927, was a deeply conservative pontiff, whose tenure was overshadowed by sex abuse scandals in the church. He retired leaving a chequered reputation after a papacy that was at times divisive. » | Harriet Sherwood Religion correspondent | Saturday, December 31, 2022

Why Did Pope Benedict XVI Really Leave The Vatican? | The Great Conclave | Parable

Apr 29, 2022 • When Pope Benedict XVI resigned in 2013, it sent shockwaves around the world. In this unflinching two-part mini-series, we find out why Benedict XVI exited the Vatican and discover the extraordinary conclave and election of Pope Francis. Including rare footage from inside Vatican City during the Conclave preparations, it features interviews with Cardinals who experienced these turbulent years first-hand.

You can sign up to History Hit, the “world's best history documentary service” and get 50% off by using the code 'PARABLE' here.

Ex-Pope Admits Errors in Handling of Abuse Cases - BBC News

Feb 9, 2022 • In a letter released by the Vatican, the former pontiff asked forgiveness for any "grievous fault" but denied personal wrongdoing.

A German report into the Catholic Church alleged that he failed to act over four child sex abuse cases.

Then known as Josef Ratzinger, he was archbishop of Munich from 1977 to 1982. The report by a German law firm alleges that abuse continued under his tenure, and that the priests accused of carrying out the abuse remained active in church roles.

Before the report was released in January, Pope Benedict had denied he had attended a meeting in 1980 about sexual abuse cases when he was archbishop of Munich.


„Zu wenig, zu spät, zu allgemein“: Enttäuscht bis entrüstet: Das sind die meisten Reaktionen auf einen Brief Benedikts XVI., in dem er sich für Fehler im Umgang mit Missbrauchsopfern entschuldigt. Nur sein Privatsekretär springt ihm bei. »

"Benedict at Least Mis-characterized What He Knew" | DW News

Former Pope Benedict XVI Reported to Be Seriously Ill

THE GUARDIAN: Ex-pontiff, 93, has shingles after being in poor health for some time, says German newspaper

The former pope Benedict XVI, the first pontiff in 600 years to resign instead of ruling for life, is seriously ill, a German newspaper has reported.

The newspaper, Passauer Neue Presse, cited Benedict’s biographer, the German author Peter Seewald, who met the 93-year-old emeritus pope at the Vatican on Saturday.

A Vatican spokesperson did not comment on the report and the former pope’s personal secretary, the archbishop Georg Gänswein, did not immediately return a call asking for comment.

Seewald said Benedict, who has been in poor health for some time, was now suffering from shingles, a viral infection that causes painful rashes and is common among older people. » | Reuters | Monday, August 3, 2020

Why Pope Benedict Really Resigned

They say Pope Benedict resigned because of old age. The real reason may shock you. Scandals, coverups, and pure evilness.

Speech by Pope Benedict XVI in Front of the German Bundestag

On 22 September 2011, Benedict XVI became the first Pope to address the Members of the German Bundestag.

Pope Francis Hints at 'Brief' Papacy

Pope Francis praised Pope Benedict's decision to resign in 2013

BBC AMERICA: Pope Francis has suggested he may resign his papacy like his predecessor, rather than remain at the Vatican for life.

The pontiff made the comments during a interview with Mexican television, marking the second anniversary of his election.

"I have the feeling that my pontificate will be brief. Four or five years; I do not know, even two or three," he said.

He praised Pope Benedict's decision to step aside in 2013 as "courageous".

"Benedict should not be considered an exception, but an institution. Maybe he will be the only one for a long time, maybe he will not be the only one.

"But an institutional door has been opened," he told the Televisa channel. » | Friday, March 13, 2015

Vatican Defrocked 400 Priests for Molesting Children

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Nearly 400 priests were defrocked by the Vatican over just two years for molesting children, according to a leaked document.

The statistics for 2011 and 2012 show a dramatic increase over the 171 priests removed in 2008 and 2009, when the Vatican first provided details on the number of priests who have been defrocked. Prior to that, it had only publicly revealed the number of alleged cases of sexual abuse it had received and the number of trials it had authorized[.]

The document was obtained by the Associated Press and was prepared from data the Vatican collected to help the Holy See defend itself before a U.N. committee this week in Geneva.

However, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Vatican's U.N. ambassador in Geneva, referred to just one of the statistics in the course of eight hours of questioning from the U.N. human rights committee.

While it's not clear why the numbers spiked in 2011, it could be because 2010 saw a new explosion in the number of cases reported in the media in Europe and beyond. » | Agencies | Friday, January 17, 2014

Pope Benedict Resigned 'Because God Told Me to Do It'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A "mystical experience" during a dialogue with God convinced Pope Emeritus Benedict to resign as head of the Roman Catholic Church earlier this year, he has said.

"God told me to do it," the 86-year-old former pontiff told a friend, six months after his decision to step down shocked the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.

God had implanted in his heart the "absolute desire" to resign and to devote himself to a life of prayer and reflection, Benedict told the anonymous confidante, according to Zenit, a Rome-based Catholic news agency.

"It was not because of any type of apparition or phenomenon of that sort," he said, but instead the result of a "mystical experience" received during "a direct rapport with the Lord".

He said the more he sees the "charisma" of Pope Francis, his successor, the more he is convinced that it was "the will of God" that he became the first pontiff in 600 years to resign. » | Nick Squires, Rome | Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Pope Benedict 'Has Lost Half His Weight'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has lost so much weight in the last few weeks that he appears to have shrunk to "half his previous size", according to a German cardinal who visited him.

Joachim Meisner, the Archbishop of Cologne, was shocked at how Benedict's state of health had deteriorated, saying he appeared to have physically shrunk.

Cardinal Meisner went to see Benedict on March 18, the day before Pope Francis was inaugurated as his successor.

At the time Benedict was living in Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence outside Rome, having resigned from the Seat of St Peter on Feb 28.

"I was shocked at how thin he had become," Cardinal Meisner told the German Catholic News Agency (KNA).

"He looked like he had halved in size. At first I did not agree with his resignation. But when I saw him my reservations melted away. Mentally, however, he is quite fit, his old self." » | Nick Squires, Rome | Thursday, May 09, 2013

Martyred for Christ: 800 Victims of Islamic Violence Who Will Become Saints This Month
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The cathedral of Otranto in southern Italy is decorated with the skulls of 800 Christian townsfolk beheaded by Ottoman soldiers in 1480. A week tomorrow, on Sunday May 12, they will become the skulls of saints, as Pope Francis canonises all of them. In doing so, he will instantly break the record for the pope who has created the most saints.

I wonder how he feels about that. Benedict XVI announced the planned canonisations just minutes before dropping the bombshell of his own resignation. You could view it as a parting gift to his successor. Or a booby trap.

The 800 men of Otranto – whose names are lost, except for that of Antonio Primaldo, an old tailor – were rounded up and killed because they refused to convert to Islam. In 2007, Pope Benedict recognised them as martyrs “killed out of hatred for the faith”. That is no exaggeration. Earlier, the Archbishop of Otranto had been cut to pieces with a scimitar.

Some accounts of the martyrdoms will raise a sceptical eyebrow: Primaldo reportedly remained standing after he was decapitated, a Pythonesque miracle that stretches credulity.

But the murders really happened, and their significance is immense. The Turks had been sent by Mohammed II, who captured the “second Rome” of Constantinople and planned to do the same to the first. His fleet landed in Otranto, Italy’s easternmost city, and laid siege. The citizens held out for two weeks, allowing the King of Naples to muster his forces. Rome did not fall.

“All of this took place because of the indifference of the political leaders of Europe to the Ottoman menace,” wrote the conservative Italian senator Alfredo Mantovano in an article about the martyrdoms in 2007. You can guess where his argument was heading. “In Otranto, no one displayed rainbow pacifist flags, nor invoked international resolutions… Today Europe is under attack, not by an institutionally organised Muslim phalanx but by a patchwork of non-governmental organisations of fundamentalist Muslims.” Read on and comment » | Damian Thompson | Friday, May 03, 2013

Pope Emeritus Benedict 'Relieved' He Is No Longer Pontiff
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Pope Emeritus Benedict's older brother has said the former pontiff is "relieved" to be free of the responsibility of running the Catholic Church, as he insisted that while he is growing weaker with old age, he is not suffering from illness.

Father Georg Ratzinger, himself a priest, told the Daily Telegraph his younger brother was "very happy" to be living at Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer retreat south of Rome he moved to after stepping down in February, becoming the first pope to resign in 600 years.

Fr Ratzinger, 88, who travelled from Germany to celebrate Benedict's 86th birthday with him on April 16, said his brother "still suffers the problems of the Church, but is really relieved to no longer have the weight of the Church on his shoulders."

Speaking by telephone from his house in Regensburg, Mr Ratzinger denied the former pope was suffering from major ailments.

"He is now very old, he does not have any particular illness, but he is weakening due to his age," he said.

Joseph Ratzinger cited advancing age when he announced his shock resignation amid reports that his hearing and sight were failing. It also emerged he had a pacemaker fitted a decade ago. » | Tom Kington, Rome | Tuesday, April 23, 2013

RC Church & Gay Marriage: Shift in Tone
THE TABLET: Straws in the wind they may be, but signs are that the election of Pope Francis may have freed some Catholic prelates to depart from the party line on the issue of same-sex relationships. The line was established by Pope Emeritus Benedict when he was head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. With the approval of Pope John Paul II, he had declared that “legal recognition of homosexual unions or placing them on the same level as marriage would mean ... the approval of deviant behaviour”.

Speaking in London this week, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna urged that same-sex relationships should be respected and recognised in law. Meanwhile in Colombia, Cardinal Rubén Salazar said in the context of the gay-marriage debate in that country, “Other unions have the right to exist – no one can ask them not to.” Both cardinals were clear they oppose same-sex marriage, on the grounds that marriage can only exist between a man and a woman. As Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Pope Francis is reported to have expressed similar views to those of Cardinal Salazar. » | Editor | Saturday, April 13, 2013