Pope Benedict XVI passed away this morning after a lengthy illness. He was 95.
Benedict's death was imminent as Pope Francis stated earlier this week that his predecessor was "very sick".
Born Joseph Ratzinger in Germany, he became Pope in 2005 following the death of Pope John Paul II. To the surprise of many people, Benedict XVI abdicated the papacy in 2013 becoming the first Pope to step down in nearly 600 years.
I remember at the time my colleagues at work were speculating that Benedict had resigned due to scandal, but Benedict had never sought the papacy. Let us also keep in mind that Benedict became Pope when he was 78 and was 85 when he stepped down amid already declining health. (It is worth noting that Pope Francis is 86). After his resignation, Benedict was bestowed with the title Pope Emeritus but asked only to be addressed as Father Benedict.
Of course, Benedict is a product of the Catholic Church and bears a certain degree of responsibility for the sex abuse scandal and is open to criticism in this area as well as where it concerns to teachings regarding the status of the LGBTQ community. But this is also true of Pope Francis and I suspect will be true of papal successors for generations to come. While not as beloved as either Pope John Paul II or Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI will have a legacy of humility. R.I.P.
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