World leaders are mourning the passing of former Pope Benedict XVI, praising his “devotion to the Church”.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died on Saturday morning in the Mater Ecclesia Monastery in the Vatican.
In 2013m Benedict became the first pope in 600 years to resign. He had grown increasingly frail during his almost 10 years of retirement.
Vatican
Pope Francis has praised Benedict’s “kindness” in his first public comments since the death of the retired pontiff.
Francis thanked Benedict on Saturday for “his testimony of faith and prayer, especially in these final years of retired life”.
United Nations
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has paid tribute to Benedict as “a humble man of prayer and study”.
Guterres said the late pontiff was “principled in his faith, tireless in his pursuit of peace, and determined in his defence of human rights”.
He added that Benedict “was a spiritual guide to millions around the world and one of the leading academic theologians of our time”.
Guterres offered his “deepest condolences to Catholics and others around the world who were inspired by his life of prayer and tenacious commitment to non-violence and peace”.
United States
US President Joe Biden said Benedict “will be remembered as a renowned theologian, with a lifetime of devotion to the Church, guided by his principles and faith”.
Biden — a church-going Catholic who differs with the church’s teaching on abortion and some other social issues — issued a statement recalling a meeting with Benedict at the Vatican in 2011. Biden recalled Benedict’s “generosity and welcome as well as our meaningful conversation”.
Biden said, “May his focus on the ministry of charity continue to be an inspiration to us all.”
The United Kingdom
The United Kingdom’s King Charles III said he received the news of Benedict’s death “with deep sadness”, saying he fondly remembers meeting with the former pontiff during a visit to the Vatican in 2009.
“I also recall his constant efforts to promote peace and goodwill to all people, and to strengthen the relationship between the global Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church,” Charles said in a message to Pope Francis on Saturday.
Germany
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is also paying tribute to the German-born Benedict as a “formative figure of the Catholic Church”.
Scholz said on Twitter that “as the ‘German’ pope, Benedict XVI was a special church leader for…