The most recent on the dying of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI:
OTTAWA — The Canadian Convention of Catholic Bishops has remembered Pope Benedict XVI for his work in coping with abuse by members of the clergy and for reaching out to Indigenous folks affected by residential colleges.
“As Canadians we’re particularly grateful for his efforts to heal the injuries of our previous,” the bishops stated in an announcement.
Benedict was praised for being the primary pope to satisfy victims of abuse by members of the clergy.
“He publicly acknowledged the scourge of abuse by these clergy, apologized for it, and strengthened Church processes to answer allegations, together with facilitating the prosecution or suspension from the clerical state these discovered chargeable for abuse,” the assertion stated.
Benedict additionally invited a Canadian delegation, made up of representatives of Indigenous communities, Catholic dioceses and non secular communities throughout Canada, to a non-public assembly in April 2009 to debate their expertise of residential colleges.
“Throughout this assembly, the Pope listened to their tales and expressed his remorse and unhappiness for the sorrow suffered by many Indigenous folks within the residential college system,” the assertion stated.
Benedict additionally canonized North America’s first Indigenous saint, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, often known as the “Lily of the Mohawks.”
___
KEY DEVELOPMENTS:
Benedict XVI, first pope to resign in 600 years, dies at 95
Benedict’s lasting mark on papacy might be his resignation
Benedict’s resignation sparked requires retirement protocol
Wealth of tribute comes for Benedict, who desired simplicity
In US, sharply contrasting views on Benedict XIV’s legacy
Highlights from the life of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
Extra on the dying of Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI: https://apnews.com/hub/pope-benedict-xvi
___
UNITED NATIONS — U.N. Secretary-Basic António Guterres has paid tribute to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as “a humble man of prayer and research.”
Guterres stated that the late pontiff was “principled in his religion, tireless in his pursuit of peace, and decided in his defence of human rights.”
He added that Benedict “was a religious information to hundreds of thousands internationally and one of many main educational theologians of our time.”
Guterres supplied his “deepest condolences to Catholics and others world wide who have been impressed by his lifetime of prayer and tenacious dedication to non-violence and peace.”
___
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden says that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI “might be remembered as a famend theologian, with a lifetime of devotion to the Church, guided by his rules and religion.”
Biden — a church-going Catholic who differs with church instructing on abortion and another social points — issued an announcement recalling a gathering with Benedict on the Vatican in 2011. Biden recalled Benedict’s “generosity and welcome in addition to our significant dialog.”
Biden stated: “Could his concentrate on the ministry of charity proceed to be an inspiration to us all.”
___
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has praised Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s “kindness” in his first public feedback for the reason that dying of the retired pontiff.
Francis thanked Benedict on Saturday for “his testimony of religion and prayer, particularly in these last years of retired life.”
Talking throughout a New 12 months’s Eve vigil, Francis stated solely God knew “of his sacrifices supplied for the nice of the church.”
___
LONDON — Britain’s King Charles III says he acquired the information of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s dying “with deep unhappiness,” saying he fondly remembers assembly with the previous pontiff throughout a go to to the Vatican in 2009.
“I additionally recall his fixed efforts to advertise peace and goodwill to all folks, and to strengthen the connection between the worldwide Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church,” Charles stated in a message to Pope Francis on Saturday.
Charles is the supreme governor of the Church of England.
___
WASHINGTON — U.S. Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi has praised Benedict as “a worldwide chief whose devotion, scholarship and hopeful message stirred the hearts of individuals of all faiths.”
The California Democrat, who’s Catholic, stated in an announcement: “Spiritually, I’m at all times moved by Pope Benedict’s highly effective encyclical, ‘God is Love,’ the place he quotes St. Augustine highlighting our ethical obligation as public servants to combat for justice.”
Pelosi stated she hoped it will be a consolation to Pope Francis and the Vatican that “so many pray for Pope Benedict throughout this unhappy time.”
___
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican has solely invited official delegations from Germany and Italy to take part within the funeral for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. That underlines the truth that he was now not pope and had requested a easy funeral.
In response to a letter to the diplomatic corps obtained Saturday by The Related Press, the Vatican Secretariat of State requested diplomatic missions to speak to the protocol workplace how many individuals could be attending Thursday’s funeral. However it confused that other than German and Italian official delegations, “the presence of different official delegations will not be foreseen.”
It added that “authorities from different nations who want to could take part in a non-public capability.”
That made clear this isn’t a funeral for a pope, which might usually be a state affair requiring the presence of heads of state or authorities from any of the greater than 185 nations with which the Holy See has diplomatic relations.
Italian safety officers estimate some 60,000 folks will attend Thursday’s funeral in St. Peter’s Sq., state TV reported. That’s far fewer than the estimated 300,000 who attended the 2005 funeral for St. John Paul II.
___
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican says that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s physique might be on public show in St. Peter’s Basilica beginning Monday for the devoted to pay their last respects.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni instructed reporters that Benedict’s request was that his funeral could be celebrated solemnly however with “simplicity.”
Pope Francis is about to have fun Benedict’s funeral Mass on Thursday, the primary time within the trendy age {that a} present pope will eulogize a retired one.
___
CAIRO — Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church is mourning the dying of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
The church and its religious chief, Pope Tawadros II, hailed Benedict in an announcement as “the most effective successor to the most effective predecessor” who spent his total life in “the service of his Roman Catholic Church.”
___
BERLIN — Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel is paying tribute to the late Pope Benedict XVI as “one of the combative and vital spiritual thinkers of our time.”
Merkel, the daughter of a Protestant pastor, led Germany for many of Benedict’s reign as pope. She stated in an announcement that she felt “nice sorrow” at his dying.
She pointed to Benedict’s curiosity in relations with Orthodox Christians and in dialog with Jews and Muslims.
Merkel recalled a speech Benedict made to the German parliament in 2011 and his “historic” choice in 2013 to resign.
She stated that “with this choice, he despatched a sign that even the pope needed to grapple with the burdens of age.”
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stated that he’ll attend Benedict’s funeral on Thursday.
___
ALTOETTING, Germany — The pastor of the Bavarian city of Altoetting, the place Benedict got here many occasions as a pilgrim to wish to a well-known statue of the Virgin Mary, has lauded the previous pope as a humble, but educated and distinctive man.
“He was humble within the Bavarian method,” Pastor Klaus Metzl instructed The Related Press. “All of us knew what he may do and the way a lot he knew, however he by no means bragged about it.”
Standing in entrance of the golden, life-size statue of the pope on Altoetting’s city sq., the place mourners had lit candles and put down white roses, Metzl reminisced about his first private encounters with the longer term pope in 1990 in Rome when he was a theology pupil.
Metzl stated that “each Thursday, he would be part of the morning mass and afterward have breakfast with us, it was great, his firm was so inspiring for us,”
He recalled that Benedict “would at all times caress the cats on the Vatican, and so they knew him, they’d come straight to him once they noticed him.”
The state authorities in Bavaria ordered that flags on regional authorities buildings be flown at half-staff Saturday and on the day of Benedict’s funeral.
___
JERUSALEM — The dying of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is beihg marked within the holy metropolis of Jerusalem and elsewhere within the area.
Church bells rang out repeatedly all through the labyrinthine alleys of Jerusalem’s previous metropolis and throughout Israel and the Palestinian territories as information broke of the previous pope’s dying. Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa deliberate an official commemoration mass on Sunday and issued an announcement of mourning.
He stated that “Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has immediately departed this world for the home of the Heavenly Father. We pray for the repose of his soul.”
Within the Gaza Strip, the Holy Household Church — Gaza Metropolis’s solely Catholic church — paid tribute to Benedict.
Parish priest Gabriel Romanelli stated that “folks noticed indicators of his humility when he submitted his resignation.” He stated that “this gave folks the sensation that it is a humble and easy man with all of the difficulties of the world, and he was an instance to observe.”
About 1,000 Christians reside in Hamas-ruled Gaza, a tiny fraction of the territory’s 2.3 million folks. Most are Greek Orthodox, with Catholics making up a couple of quarter of the small group.
___
WARSAW, Poland — Political leaders in Poland have lauded Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s contribution to the church’s instructing, praising him as an impressive theologian, modest particular person and buddy to their nation.
The Sigismund Bell in Krakow — one in every of Poland’s oldest and largest church bells, used to mark occasions of nationwide significance — tolled at midday. A particular Mass in Benedict’s honor was deliberate at Krakow’s Wawel Fort Cathedral later Saturday.
President Andrzej Duda stated on Twitter that the Benedict’s instructing was a “information publish among the many many winding and misleading paths of up to date world. “
Duda’s workplace stated he plans to attend Benedict funeral.
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stated Benedict was a “nice Catholic thinker, a religious authority, and a modest one that was nonetheless an individual of very nice format,” whose “religious and mental legacy will ever stay essential to us.”
He famous that Benedict was near his Polish-born predecessor, St. John Paul II, who stays a much-revered determine in Poland.
___
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin has described Pope Benedict XVI as “a outstanding spiritual determine and statesman (and) a staunch defender of conventional Christian values.”
A telegram to Pope Francis printed on the Kremline web site stated that, throughout Benedict’s papacy, full diplomatic relations have been established between Russia and the Vatican “and relations between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic church buildings have been developed.”
The pinnacle of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, stated that he “had the chance to testify to his deep love for Jap Christianity and, specifically, honest respect for the custom of Russian Orthodoxy.”
___
TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has expressed his condolences on the dying of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
The overseas ministry stated Kishida additionally referred to the good contributions Pope Benedict made towards world peace. He stated Japan was significantly moved by a message Benedict despatched after the 2011 tsunami and Fukushima nuclear catastrophe spiritually uplifting the folks of Japan.
___
MARKTL AM INN, Germany — Church bells have rung out within the small Bavarian city the place Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was born following the information of his dying.
Bells on the St. Oswald church in Marktl am Inn close to the Austrian border tolled on Saturday.
Marktl Mayor Benedikt Dittmann stated that “the pope has been omnipresent since he was elected Pope Benedict” in 2005 and there have been celebrations every year on his birthday.
He stated that he was affected by the information of the retired pontiff’s dying — “though it should be stated that, in keeping with his personal statements, he has now been in a position to put together for this stage for 10 years, in prayer and devotion.”
___
LONDON — Eire’s president has paid tribute to the late Pope Benedict XVI, highlighting his curiosity in selling peace in Northern Eire.
President Michael D. Higgins stated in an announcement that “at the moment of the return of struggle on our continent and in so many areas of the world, he might be remembered for his untiring efforts to discover a widespread path in selling peace and goodwill all through the world, together with a steadfast curiosity in peace in Northern Eire.”
Higgins additionally praised Benedict for highlighting “the widespread function of the world’s main religions.”
The chief of the Catholic Church in Eire, Eamon Martin, recalled Benedict’s “humility and gentleness” and praised the previous pontiff’s response to the abuse scandal within the church. Martin recalled how after assembly with Irish bishops in 2010, Benedict issued a letter to Irish Catholics “expressing profound sorrow” for abuse victims earlier than calling for pressing motion to deal with the legacy of abuse.
___
STOCKHOLM — The pinnacle of the Lutheran Church of Sweden has expressed his sympathies with Catholics world wide.
Archbishop Martin Modeus wrote on Twitter that “our church buildings have totally different traditions and our methods of pondering have generally differed, however Benedict XVI had an ideal affect on the rapprochement of Lutherans and Catholics within the final 50 years.”
___
NEW YORK — A U.S. advocacy group is mourning the dying of a “true buddy of the Jewish folks” in Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
The American Jewish Committee stated in an announcement Saturday that “Benedict continued the trail of reconciliation and friendship with world Jewry blazed by his predecessor, John Paul II.”
The group famous that Benedict had “paid homage in Auschwitz” to the victims of the Holocaust and had made an official go to to Israel.
It stated that “he condemned antisemitism as a sin in opposition to God and man, and he emphasised the distinctive relationship between Christianity and Judaism.’
___
BERLIN — Germany’s president is praising the late Pope Benedict XVI’s dedication to dialogue between Christian denominations and with different religions.
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stated in a message of condolences to Pope Francis that “the election of a pope from the motherland of the Reformation and an mental who had made the dialogue between religion and purpose his life’s job was an essential sign for many individuals world wide.”
Steinmeier stated that the German-born pontiff “significantly cared in regards to the unity of Christendom and the dialog of religions, the connection between faith and society.” He added that “he sought dialog with Jews and Muslims and with all Christian denominations worldwide.”
___
ROME — Italian President Sergio Mattarella stated the dying of the pope emeritus is a trigger for grief for your complete nation.
Mattarella stated that “his sweetness and his knowledge had benefited our group and your complete worldwide group.”
He added in an announcement that Benedict “continued to serve the reason for his Church in his distinctive position of pope emeritus with humility and serenity.″ The president stated that Benedict “interpreted with finesse the explanations of dialogue, of peace, of the dignity of the particular person, in addition to the supreme pursuits of religions.”
___
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican says that Pope Francis will have fun the funeral Mass for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in St. Peter’s Sq. on Thursday.
It is going to be an unprecedented occasion through which a present pope will have fun the funeral for a former one.
Francis was elected after Benedict resigned in 2013.
___
LONDON — The religious head of the Anglican church says that “in his life and ministry, Pope Benedict XVI directed folks to Christ.”
The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, wrote on Twitter: “I be part of with Pope Francis and all of the Catholic Church in mourning his dying. Could he relaxation in Christ’s peace and rise in glory with all of the Saints.”
___
OSLO, Norway — In predominantly Lutheran Norway, the Catholic bishop of Oslo, Bernt Ivar Eidsvig, known as Benedict “the final nice theologian of the previous 100 years.”
Eidsvig instructed Norwegian broadcaster NRK that “He masters all of the theological topics. I can’t consider anybody else who does.”
___
ROME — Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni has known as Pope Benedict XVI a “big of religion and purpose” that historical past will always remember.
In an announcement, she praised his lifelong service to the church and talent to “converse to the hearts and minds of individuals with the religious, cultural and mental profundity of his magisterium.”
She stated she supplied Pope Francis her personal private condolences, and people of the federal government, in sharing “his ache and that of your complete ecclesial group.”
___
BERLIN — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is paying tribute to the German-born Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as a “formative determine of the Catholic Church.”
Benedict, the previous Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, grew to become the primary German pope in centuries when he was elected in 2005.
Scholz stated on Twitter Saturday that “because the ‘German’ pope, Benedict XVI was a particular church chief for a lot of, not simply on this nation.”
He stated that “the world is shedding a formative determine of the Catholic Church, a combative character and a sensible theologian.”
___
BERLIN — The governor of Benedict XVI’s native German area says that “we’re mourning our Bavarian pope.”
Bavarian governor Markus Soeder stated on Twitter Saturday that “with him, society is shedding a persuasive consultant of the Catholic Church and one of the influential theologians of the twentieth century.”
Soeder wrote that “many individuals in his homeland will keep in mind him not simply as pope, but in addition as a humble pastor.”
He famous that “on the identical time, he additionally needed to face accountability for tough phases in his work.”
The governor stated that “he at all times carried his homeland in his coronary heart.”
The pinnacle of the German Bishops’ Convention, Limburg Bishop Georg Baetzing, stated that “a formidable theologian and skilled shepherd is leaving us with the dying of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.”
“We’re mourning a character who imparted hope and path to the church even in tough occasions,” Baetzing stated in an announcement. He voiced “nice respect” for Benedict’s “brave choice” to resign a decade in the past.
___
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican says Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has died. He was 95.
Benedict was the primary pope in 600 years to resign. Benedict had grow to be more and more frail throughout his virtually 10 years of retirement.
Benedict’s dramatic choice in 2013 to resign paved the way in which for the conclave that elected Pope Francis. The 2 popes then lived side-by-side within the Vatican gardens in an unprecedented association that set the stage for future “popes emeritus” to do the identical.
The previous Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger by no means needed to be pope. However he was pressured to observe in St. John Paul II’s footsteps, working the church throughout a interval of scandal and indifference.
