Great theologian, but shy person: For the once celebrated pope, shadows fell on his life's work

Created: 2023-01-02 09:12

By: Claudia Möllers

After the conclave: Benedict 2005 greets from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.

© dpa

For many Catholics, New Year's Day is now always associated with the farewell to Benedict XVI.

to be connected.

Joseph Ratzinger died on December 31st at 9:43 am.

In many places the bells rang - in memory of the first German pope after almost 482 years.

Vatican City/Munich – “Jesus, I love you”: These are said to have been the last words Benedict XVI.

passed his lips before falling asleep peacefully on Saturday morning after days of worrying about him.

In Marktl am Inn (district of Altötting), where he was born on Easter night 95 years ago, a rainbow is said to have been seen around the hour of Benedict's death.

As soon as he is divorced from this world, a legend begins to form around the man who led the world church from 2005 to 2013.

From the Mater Ecclesiae monastery, information from Benedict's confidants has leaked out to the public.

The former pope was lying in state in his bedroom, the nuns and his faithful secretary Georg Gänswein were praying at his bedside.

"He fell asleep, as they say," said one of those present at the German Press Agency.

And he seems very peaceful now.

With his resignation he caused a bang

Since his spectacular resignation on Shrove Monday 2013, Benedict XVI.

retired to the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican Gardens, in the shadow of St. Peter's Basilica.

However, he had not lived the last almost ten years completely isolated as a hermit.

As pope emeritus in a white robe, he was often seen in public.

Pope Francis invited him to be a cardinal.

Sometimes he showed up with a visitor from home.

In recent years, however, Benedict has become quieter.

He was getting frail, his voice getting quieter.

There was more coverage for the 90th birthday, which the Upper Bavarian celebrated on April 19.

April 2017 celebrated - and where Bavaria's then Prime Minister Horst Seehofer conjured up Bavarian flair into the life of a hermit with a small group of celebrations and the indispensable mountain riflemen.

And in June 2020, when he decided to visit his beloved brother Georg in Regensburg when he was dying.

Unforgettable are the pictures of the fragile-looking man in a wheelchair at his parents' grave.

It was to be his last visit home.

The Cardinals have chosen me, a simple and humble worker in the Lord's vineyard.

Benedict XVI

after his election as Pope

In recent years, the former church leader has had to deal with a dark chapter in church history: the abuse scandal.

He himself is also accused of having protected perpetrators as Archbishop of Munich and Freising.

Benedict XVI apologized in a public letter.

at all victims.

He will soon appear "before his eternal judge," he wrote meaningfully.

In church-political statements, Benedict XVI.

abstinence imposed.

Here and there he was accused of attempts to exert influence - for example on the family synod 2014/2015.

He has always denied it.

He was also unable to prevent his successor Francis from letting Gerhard Ludwig Müller, who had been appointed by Benedict as the supreme guardian of the faith, come to nothing after five years in office.

After hair-raising intrigues in the Vatican, "Father Benedict" had no more strength

Benedict XVI has dismissed all conspiracy theories related to his resignation.

rejected.

"There is not the slightest doubt about the validity of my resignation," he felt compelled to emphasize in February 2014.

“The only requirement for validity is the full freedom of my action.

Speculations regarding the invalidity of the resignation are simply absurd.” Last but not least, the German knew that Francis needed all his strength to get the nave back on track in the credibility crisis.

Pope Francis can tell you how difficult that is.

His reform efforts are repeatedly thwarted by curial staff.

Benedikt knew that he would not be up to such a mammoth task.

After hair-raising intrigues in the Vatican, “Father Benedict” no longer had the strength to tackle the necessary changes.

He also probably no longer knew who he could rely on within the Vatican walls.

In any case, the brilliant theologian did not have a well-developed knowledge of human nature.

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My space

What a celebration it was in Germany when Joseph Ratzinger became pope

But what a celebration it was in Germany, but above all in Bavaria, when on April 19, 2005 Curia Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the long-standing prefect of the faith and former archbishop of Munich and Freising, was elected pope.

Even many long-time critics, who had worked their way through the hard “armoured cardinal” and strict guardian of the faith, suddenly appeared surprised by the modest, humble-looking old gentleman of 78 years of age who, after his election, stepped onto the balcony at St. Peter’s Basilica and quietly voice said, "After the great Pope John Paul II, the Cardinals elected me, a simple and humble worker in the Lord's vineyard." But he also spoke at the time of how, when the votes made it clear to him,

"that the guillotine would fall on me, so to speak", felt dizzy.

But Germany, especially Bavaria, celebrated “its Pope”.

The subsequent almost eight-year pontificate of Benedict was characterized by theologically demanding texts and encyclicals - about love, hope and faith.

And from his book about Jesus.

Even as a professor, Ratzinger was one of the most productive theologians.

His works are still required reading for every theology student.

They are interspersed with his warnings about a secularized world and forgetfulness of God.

And from his book about Jesus.

Even as a professor, Ratzinger was one of the most productive theologians.

His works are still required reading for every theology student.

They are interspersed with his warnings about a secularized world and forgetfulness of God.

And from his book about Jesus.

Even as a professor, Ratzinger was one of the most productive theologians.

His works are still required reading for every theology student.

They are interspersed with his warnings about a secularized world and forgetfulness of God.

Breakdowns and scandals made the burden on his shoulders too heavy

What many critics denounced as escapism, his admirers see as downright prophetic.

The Bavarian theologian, this brilliant analyst and somewhat shy person, recognized early on that the centuries-old authority of the Catholic Church was crumbling dangerously.

When avoidable mishaps then happened during his pontificate - such as the reversal of the excommunication of the Pius Brothers and the immeasurable loss of credibility caused by the abuse scandal, the burden on his narrow shoulders became too heavy.

The dizzying scandals in the Vatican with the betrayal of secrets and stolen documents from the Pope's desk as well as inscrutable financial transactions - that was too much for an Upper Bavarian who preferred to sit in his study,

wrote highly intellectual writings and played Mozart on the piano to relax.

Even when his predecessor John Paul II was still alive, Ratzinger had dreamed of retiring.

About free time that he would have liked to spend with his brother Georg, who was three years his senior.

About theological books that he still wanted to write.

But neither the Polish Pope allowed him to withdraw, nor did the College of Cardinals release him in the 2005 election.

He was her guarantor of continuity at the top of the Church.

But neither the Polish Pope allowed him to withdraw, nor did the College of Cardinals release him in the 2005 election.

He was her guarantor of continuity at the top of the Church.

But neither the Polish Pope allowed him to withdraw, nor did the College of Cardinals release him in the 2005 election.

He was her guarantor of continuity at the top of the church.

The successor Francis hugs Benedict in 2013 in Castel Gandolfo.

© OSSERVATORE ROMANO/dpa

With his spectacular resignation in 2013, Benedict caused a bang at the end of his pontificate.

He transformed what was previously unimaginable into a future possibility.

His successor, Pope Francis, has already remarked that he could imagine resigning in view of dwindling strength.

Benedict XVI

have been given a few more years of prayer and rest as papa emeritus.

He always received visitors.

Cardinal Reinhard Marx from Munich also dropped in here and there, discussed philosophical subtleties with Benedict, and certainly also church-political issues.

But the more the Munich cardinal was integrated into the leadership group around Pope Francis, the rarer the encounters with Benedict became.

However, some publications during his "retirement" caused unrest in the church - even if they were, as it is said, in each case agreed with Francis.

The emeritus could not prevent being exploited by supposed friends.

Although Benedict dismissed around 400 priests for sexual abuse by the end of his term in office, forced numerous bishops to resign for cover-up and repeatedly asked forgiveness for those affected by abuse, he could not push aside the shadow on his life's work.

He didn't want to take personal responsibility.

History will judge this - and in the understanding of believing Catholics now the Lord God.