From Rome to Moscow, presidents and church leaders pay tribute to Benedict XVI

by time news

The world’s reactions to the death of the emeritus pope.

Leaders of Italy, other European countries and the Russian Orthodox Church They paid tribute to Benedict XVI on Saturday, citing his traditional morality and dedication to the Catholic Church.

The Patriarch Kirilla Russian Orthodox leader who met Benedict XVI several times during his pontificate, cited the “unquestionable authority of the pope emeritus as eminent theologian“, which, according to Kirill, “enabled him to make a significant contribution to the development of inter-Christian cooperation, to the witness of Christ in a secularized world and to the defense of traditional morality.”



The lifeless body of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who died on December 31 at the age of 95, remains in the funeral chapel installed in the central nave of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. EFE/Cristina Cabrejas

In a statement posted Saturday on the Moscow Patriarchate website, Kirill said Benedict had been an admirer and friend of Eastern Christianity.

In Italy, the President Sergio Mattarella He said that Benedict XVI would be “unforgettable” for the Italian people.

“Her sweetness and wisdom have benefited our community and the entire international community,” Mattarella said in a statement.

He described the late Pope as an intellectual and theologian who “finely interpreted the reasons for dialogue, peace, the dignity of the person as supreme interests for religions.”

Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, He expressed his personal mourning for Benedict and that of the Italian government. He called him a “giant of faith and religion” and, in a statement, highlighted Benedict’s service to the Church and the “spiritual, cultural and intellectual depth of his teaching.”

Ursula von der Leyenpresident of the executive arm of the European Union – who, like Benedict, is German – expressed her condolences to all Catholics on the death of the former Pope.

“The passing of Pope Benedict saddens me,” he said on Twitter.

“He had given a strong signal with his resignation,” he wrote, adding:

“Once her physical strength waned, she continued to serve through the power of her prayers.”

In Germany, the response was more nuanced.

Tributes to his service to the Church were mixed with recognition of criticism of his handling of the cases of sexual abuse as archbishop.

c.2022 The New York Times Company

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