Although it was his birthday over four months ago, there is now for Pope Benedict XVI.
to celebrate something.
Starting this week is the oldest pontiff of all time.
For Pope Benedict XVI.
there is something to celebrate.
The former pontiff is probably the oldest living head of the church of all time.
The previous record holder died over 100 years ago.
Rome
- Just a few weeks ago
Pope
Emeritus
Benedict XVI visited
his native Bavaria and his seriously ill brother before he died. He followed his funeral again in his retirement home in
Rome
.
He also suffered from a painful facial rose, which he has since survived.
After all the pain and grief,
Joseph Ratzinger
may have another reason to celebrate.
As of this week, he has officially been considered the oldest
Pope of
all time.
The record holder before Pope Benedict XVI.
lived almost 200 years earlier
A little over 93 years and four months ago
Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger
- as his full name is called - was born in Marktl am Inn, a small community in the
Altötting
district.
He still had a close relationship with his native Bavaria in Rome.
In 2005 he rose to head all Catholics and was elected
Pope
.
Eight years later he resigned from office for health reasons and largely withdrew from the public eye.
He was only the second
Pope
, after Celestine V (1294), to resign.
Since then he has been living in seclusion in a house on the grounds of the
Vatican
.
With the resignation from office, Benedict XVI.
in papal history for much of a stir.
His age record gets a damper with it - but it is still spectacular.
https://t.co/RnGH91erY9
- catholic.de (@katholisch_de) September 2, 2020
Now the question arises, is
Pope Benedict XVI.
the oldest living
pontiff of
all time, or just the oldest person to have held that title.
His rival for this record is
Pope Leo XIII.
He was born on March 2, 1810 and died on July 20, 1903. That would make
Georg Ratzinger the
same age as
Pope Leo
at the time
, but he no longer holds the title.
The 83-year-old
Pope Francis
is now head of the Catholic Church
.
Nonetheless, Benedikt's personal secretary, Georg Gänswein, confirmed the record on Thursday evening.
Anniversary of the first German Pope since the 16th century (video)
There is more competition for the age record of Pope Benedict XVI.
Two
popes
could match the record of
Benedict XVI.
getting dangerous.
But the historical data for both are rather patchy and therefore hardly verifiable.
On the one hand there was the antipope
Benedict XIII
in the 14th century
.
from Spain.
He was
not recognized
in
Rome
and details of his year of birth are also not known.
It is assumed, however, that he could have been up to 95 years old.
Celestine III,
too
.
could have become older than
Georg Ratzinger
.
His year of birth is not documented either.
(tel)
In his biography, Pope Benedict XVI.
serious allegations against the church - it would be propaganda against him.
In addition, accusations were repeatedly raised against him in the abuse scandal that he had covered the perpetrators.