he d made mistakes in handling the matter. in february 2013, he shocked the world, announcing he would resign at the end of the month, citing age and failing health. the election of his successor, pope francis, represented a break with much of what benedict had stood for. he was probably one of the outstanding theologians of the 20th century. he was a great scholar but he had this clarity of expression, so he was a philosopher, a thinker, and a european. but francis is quite different. he s from latin america. he brings a whole different resource to the life of the church one which pays more attention to what you might call popular movement. they re quite different and complimentary, in a way. pope benedict upheld the creeds of the church and taught them with conviction.
mistakes in handling the matter. speaks italian in february 2013, he shocked the world, announcing in february 2013, he shocked the world, announcing he would resign at the end of the month, citing age and failing health. the election of his successor, pope francis, represented a break with much of what benedict had stood for. the challenge was to find a leader who could close the widening gap between a doctrinally conservative vatican and the church worldwide. benedict bequeathed to his successor the challenges that so fatigued him, the scandal of child sexual abuse, and diminishing congregations in the west. pope benedict upheld the creeds of the church and taught them with conviction. he died as he lived, thinking and writing about how to defend and advance those creeds in an increasingly secular world.
but in it lay an acknowledgement of the church s declining influence in its traditional heartlands. but he also sparked controversy in 2006 when during a lecture he gave in germany, he quoted criticism of islam by a 14th century christian leader and appeared to link the religion with jihad and holy war. there were violent protests in several muslim countries. the pope apologised and made a point of setting up the first catholic muslim forum. but back in rome, the church was beginning to confront the scandal of sexual abuse by priests around the world. he was forced to deny that he d played any role in covering up abuse. but the cases continued to mount. he later acknowledged he d made mistakes in handling the matter. in february 2013, he shocked the world, announcing he would resign at the end of the month, citing age and failing health.
he later acknowledged he d made mistakes in handling the matter. in february, 2013, he shocked the world, announcing he would resign at the end of the month, citing age and failing health. the election of his successor, pope francis, represented a break with much of what benedict had stood for. he was probably one of the outstanding theologians of the 20th century. he was a great scholar, but he had this clarity of expression, so he was a philosopher, a thinker, and a european, but francis is quite different. he s from latin america, he brings a whole different resource to the life of the church, one which pays more attention to what you might call popular movement. they re quite different but complimentary in a way.
was beginning to confront the scandal of sexual abuse by priests around the world. he was forced to deny that he d played any role in covering up abuse. but the cases continued to mount. he later acknowledged he d made mistakes in handling the matter. in february 2013, he shocked the world, announcing he would resign at the end of the month, citing age and failing health. the election of his successor, pope francis, represented a break with much of what benedict had stood for. the challenge was to find a leader who could close the widening gap between a doctrinally conservative vatican and the church worldwide. pope benedict upheld the creeds of the church and taught them with conviction. he died as he lived, thinking and writing about how to defend and advance those creeds