Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Leaves Behind a Complicated Legacy
Call To Action issues the following statement on the passing and difficult legacy of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who, in 2013, became the first pope in 600 years to retire.
Illustration by James Miller, courtesy of Creative Commons.
Call To Action prays for the soul of Pope Benedict XVI, who passed away Saturday, Dec. 31, at age 95, after a long battle with illness.
A highly regarded theologian, Benedict was a powerful, authoritative presence at the Vatican for decades. Even after he resigned from the papacy in 2013–becoming the first pope to do so in 600 years–Benedict continued to influence Catholics worldwide. Before being elected pope in 2005, Benedict, then known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, oversaw the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Critical of the outcomes of the Second Vatican Council, Benedict sought to defend the faith from what he perceived as the dangers of modernity and liberalism. He further shaped Catholic teaching around his conservative theology and condemned many Catholics, lay and clergy alike, whose ministries pushed the Church on issues of sexuality, poverty and liberation theology, and gender justice.
Between 2004 and 2014, while Benedict served as the head of CDF and then, as the pontiff, the Vatican defrocked nearly 1,000 priests accused of sexual abuse. However, Benedict's legacy was marred by his alleged inaction to curtail abuse while he previously served as the archbishop of Munich. Earlier in 2022, the retired pontiff issued an apology to survivors of priest sexual abuse but stopped short of admitting fault.
Benedict leaves behind a complicated legacy. He devoted his life to serving the Church and defending the faith. He was a prolific writer and intellectual. Many of his actions also spiritually, emotionally, and physically harmed faithful Catholics. As we pray for Benedict's soul and offer condolences to his friends and family, we also hold space for survivors of priest sexual abuse and pray that they may find some closure in their healing.
