Bells ring out in churches around the world, from the old city of Jerusalem to small Marktl am Inn, the German town where Joseph Ratzinger was born, while religious services are organized in honor of the pope emeritus in different corners of the planet, and world leaders , from Europe, to Russia and Japan and beyond, discuss his legacy and express their sorrow at his death at age 95.
Pope emeritus Benedict XVI leaves a legacy in the Catholic Church as he departs this Saturday, as well as in other religious communities and congregations, and is remembered by prominent theological, political and social figures, in anticipation of his funeral, which will be next 5 January at St. Peter's Basilica.
He was the pope who resigned, after the scandals of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, and also an intellectual of theology and reason that marked history.
A woman lights a candle in the Cathedral of Saint Mary, Saint Liborius, Saint Kilian of Paderborn for Benedict XVI, on December 31, 2022. Friso Gentsch / DPA/Picture Alliance via Getty Images
From Jerusalem to Gaza: "We will pray for his rest"
Church bells rang continuously in the labyrinthine alleyways of the old city of Jerusalem and across Israel and the Palestinian territories as news broke of the former pope's death.
Latino patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa planned an official commemorative mass on Sunday and issued a statement of mourning.
“We pray for the repose of his soul,” he said.
In the Gaza Strip, the Church of the Holy Family, the only Catholic church in Gaza City, also paid tribute to Benedict.
[Benedict XVI dies: he will always be remembered for renouncing the papacy]
A US advocacy organization further expressed that it is mourning the death of a "
true friend of the Jewish people
."
The American Jewish Committee said in a statement on Saturday that "Benedict continued the path of reconciliation and friendship with the Jews of the world opened by his predecessor, John Paul II."
From a small German town to the Vatican
Meanwhile, they also echoed the bells of St. Oswald's Church in Marktl am Innla, the small German town near the Austrian border where Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was born.
The mayor of Marktl, Benedikt Dittmann, said that "the Pope has been omnipresent since he was elected Pope Benedict" in 2005 and there were celebrations every year on his birthday.
[The life in pictures of Pope Benedict XVI]
An image of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is placed in his honor in the cathedral in the city of Mainz, Germany, on December 31, 2022. picture alliance / dpa/picture alliance via Getty I
Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany, recalled how he marked the country and the world.
“As a 'German' #Pope, #BenedictXVI was a special ecclesiastical leader for many, not only in this country.
The world loses a formative figure of the Catholic Church, a contentious personality and an intelligent theologian.
My thoughts are with Pope Francis,” he said in a statement on Twitter.
Throughout Europe: "he was a giant of faith and reason"
Giorgia Meloni, Italian Prime Minister:
“Benedict XVI has been a giant of faith and reason.
A man in love with the Lord who put his life at the service of the Universal Church and has spoken, and will continue to speak, to the hearts and minds of men with the spiritual, cultural and intellectual depth of his Magisterium.
A Christian, a pastor, a theologian: a great man that history will not forget."
Emmanuel Macron, President of France:
"My thoughts are with the Catholics of France and the whole world, grieved by the departure of His Holiness Benedict XVI, who worked with all his soul and intelligence for a more fraternal world."
Pedro Sánchez, President of Spain:
"My heartfelt condolences to the Catholic Church on the death of His Holiness Benedict XVI. A great theologian dedicated to the service of others, justice and peace."
Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom:
“I am saddened by the news of the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
He was a great theologian whose visit to the UK in 2010 was a historic moment for both Catholics and non-Catholics in our country.
My thoughts are with the Catholic people in the UK and around the world today."
His pontificate was marked by ending the silence of the Church on the sexual abuse of minors by priests. Armando Franca / ASSOCIATED PRESS
Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland:
"He will also be remembered for the value he placed on intellectual work and the personal commitment he made to it within the Roman Catholic Church, work that was respected by both his supporters and his detractors".
Poland pays tribute to a friend from his country.
Political leaders in Poland have praised the contribution of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to the teaching of the church, lauding him as an outstanding theologian, a modest person and a friend of his country.
President Andrzej Duda said on Twitter that the teaching of Benedict XVI was a “guide among the many tortuous and deceptive paths of the contemporary world.
“
The impact on Russia of Putin and the Orthodox Church
Russian President Vladimir Putin has described Pope Benedict XVI as "a prominent religious figure and statesman (and) a staunch defender of traditional Christian values."
A telegram to Pope Francis posted on the Kremline website said that, during Benedict's papacy, full diplomatic relations were established between Russia and the Vatican "and relations developed between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches."
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, said he "had the opportunity to testify his deep love for Eastern Christianity and, in particular, his sincere respect for the tradition of Russian Orthodoxy."
