Brief biography of pope benedict xvi resign

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He also said that for John Paul II, his time of suffering was part of his charism. People have been making pilgrimages to the small town since 1489, and now a million pilgrims from all over the world come here every year.

All these rumors that there are other reasons for his resignation, for example, Vatileaks, a conspiracy or blackmail and so on – all this is real rubbish and does not correspond to the truth. Sentenced to 18 months in prison by a Vatican court, Gabriele was pardoned by the end of 2012 by Benedict, though the damage was already done.

Benedict maintains that he resigned for the right reasons

In the weeks that followed Benedict's retreat into private life, theories abounded as to why one of the world's most powerful spiritual leaders undertook the legacy-altering move.

He voluntarily resigned from the papal office. While most papal funerals were traditionally presided over by the senior cardinal, Benedict XVI’s voluntary resignation in 2013 due to health issues allowed the coexistence of a former and a sitting pope. He wore this ring from 1977 until he was elected Pope. This is the ring that his siblings Mary and George had made from an ancient gem.

For himself, however, he did not see it that way, nor did he want to repeat it. One conspiracy theory held that he was forced into resignation, but his ongoing use of his papal name and garments signaled that he still considered himself the rightful head of the Church.

But Benedict stuck to his original explanation, with a 2018 documentary, Benedict XVI: in Honor of Truth, providing supporting evidence that the pope emeritus felt he could no longer publicly lead the 1.2 billion Catholics who, more than ever, needed steadfast stewardship during times of immense change.

He lived out his days, until his death in December 2022, writing and praying in the solitude of the Vatican's Mater Ecclesiae monastery, the full extent of the circumstances and struggles that drove him from the apex of his calling likely shared only with his Savior.

He, the man of words, of books, learned to speak and to believe here, in the midst of a family that held together closely. Nevertheless, he vowed obedience to his successor before he could even know him. The previous instance was in 1802, when Pope Pius VII presided over the funeral of Pope Pius VI, who died in captivity under Napoleon’s French army. The truth is: he resigned for health reasons.

The director of the Altötting’s Marian Shrine, Dr. Klaus Metzl, tells us what that visit was like. 

When Pope Benedict celebrated the Holy Mass on September 11, 2006 here in Altötting, he went to pay his respects to Our Lady, and to the surprise of all of us, he placed his bishop’s ring at Our Lady’s feet. Furthermore, it led to the unique situation with one pope (Francis) and a pope emeritus (Benedict) both gracing the grounds of the Vatican in distinct white papal vestments.

Benedict cited his advanced age and deteriorating strength as the impetus for his resignation, explaining that his condition had forced him to "recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me."

However, given the events that unfolded during his tenure, which exposed the Church's difficulties in adapting to a changing world and threatened the infallible status of its leader, the non-believers could be forgiven for assuming there were other factors that drove his decision.

Benedict inherited the fallout of the sexual abuse scandal that was gaining steam

Upon ascending to the papacy in April 2005, Benedict was forced to publicly confront the trauma of sexual abuse by Church clergy that had bubbled to the surface after generations of suppression.

The pope was already familiar with many of the troubling details, dating back to his days as prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith under John Paul II, and as such he was well suited to lead the Church into the 21st century on this issue.

Benedict ended the service of Father Marcial Maciel Degollado, an influential Mexican priest with a long trail of accusations, and he became the first pope to meet with sexual abuse victims in 2008.

Underscoring the depth of the problem, the wrenching 2012 documentary Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, about the abuse of four deaf boys in the 1960s and the Church's attempts to bury the allegations, aired shortly before Benedict stepped down.

Italian authorities were watching the Vatican's finances

Another issue that proved problematic for the pope was the financial entanglements of the Vatican Bank.

Again, this was something that predated Benedict's papacy, as the Vatican Bank had long permitted the use of secretive accounts that invited scrutiny for potential money laundering.