Rest in Peace Pope Benedict XVI: My thoughts on the former pontiff

It is with great sadness that I announce the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. I'm glad he had a long life where he was able to contribute much to the world. However, it is still very sad that he passed away.

I found out this news this morning as I was just getting up. He passed away at 9:34am in the Mater Ecclesia Monastery in Vatican City where he had been living for many years. As of right now, funeral arrangements are still underway. Obviously Pope Francis will be in attendance, but the date and times are currently unknown.

I really came to admire Pope Benedict. He spoke with clarity and precision, but also with love and kindness. He wasn't a robot, in fact, he was quite human and loving. Unfortunately the media insists on placing people into well-defined boxes, and thus portrayed Benedict as some arch-conservative that never smiles. Admittedly, he did have a big act to follow coming after Pope John Paul II, however, I think he was unduly smeared in public perception.

One thing I liked about Pope Benedict is that he was an intellectual. He was a theologian and scholar, long before he became pope. He was well-known in the academic world. I appreciate this trait because we need clarity now more than ever. Morality in our world is something that cannot be taken for granted. People take terms that have long been well-understood and distort their meaning to fit their own evil desires. That's why we need a clear-speaking and precise pontiff who will guide the people.

As mentioned though, Pope Benedict wasn't just providing information, he was inspiring and wrote beautiful works, including his encyclical "God is Love".

People probably assumed that when Benedict retired in 2013 that he would not have much time left. Every few months we would hear health updates and it would make you wonder how he was doing, but he always seemed to pull through. 95 is a great age to reach. It's interesting that Queen Elizabeth was just a little older (96) when she passed away, also this year. I wonder how often it happens that a pope and a British monarch die in the same year. Randomly, I also recall Betty White died on this date last year. Apparently the most common day of death if January 1. I don't think the deaths of Betty White and Pope Benedict are related, however.

I am curious about what to expect when it comes to Pope Benedict's funeral. When will it be, who will be in attendance, what will the actual ceremony look like? All interesting things to think about.

Most of all, let's pray for the repose of the former pope's soul. May he rest in peace.

Pope Benedict has died at the age of 95

It is with great sadness that I announce the death of Pope Benedict XVI. He is the oldest person who was ever pope. This is not to be confused with "oldest pope" as Benedict retired at the age of 85, making him the 4th oldest pope at the end of the papacy.

Joseph Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict, had a long and distinguished academic career before being elected pope in 2005.

He was born in Germany in 1927 and studied theology at the University of Munich and the Higher School of Philosophy and Theology in Freising. After ordination to the priesthood in 1951, he continued his studies and earned a doctorate in theology in 1953.

Ratzinger began teaching theology at the University of Bonn in 1959 and later held positions at the University of Münster, the University of Tübingen, and the University of Regensburg. In 1977, he was appointed to the chair of dogmatic theology at the University of Regensburg, where he served as dean of the faculty of theology from 1984 to 1989.

In 1981, Ratzinger was appointed as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a position he held until his election as pope in 2005. He also served as a member of the International Theological Commission from 1969 to 1981 and as its president from 1981 to 1985.

Throughout his academic career, Ratzinger was known for his scholarship on the theology of the Church Fathers, the history of dogma, and the relationship between faith and reason. He is the author of numerous books and articles on these and other topics, and his work has been widely respected in the Catholic Church and beyond.

After retiring from the papacy, Pope Benedict led a quiet life in a monastery. He will be greatly missed. He provided great insight into the faith and he was a truly great man!

Is Pope Benedict the oldest person to ever have been pope?

Summary:

Pope Benedict is oldest person to have ever been pope at 95 years of age. He is the fourth oldest pope when papacy ended.

Full article:

Pope Benedict XVI is currently the oldest person to have ever served as pope. As of 2021, Pope Benedict XVI is 95 years old. He was born on April 16, 1927, and he served as pope from April 19, 2005, until his resignation on February 28, 2013. At the time of his resignation, he was 85 years old, which made him one of the oldest popes in history. However, he has continued to live and age since his papacy ended, and as a result, he is now the oldest person to have ever served as pope.

However, he was only the 4th oldest pope at the time his papacy ended. Most popes' papacy ends at their death, which was not the case with Benedict. Here are the top five oldest popes at the end of their papacy:

Here are the five oldest popes at the time their papacies ended, listed in order from oldest to youngest:

Pope Clement X: Clement X served as pope from 1670 to 1676 and was 89 years old when he died.

Pope Leo XIII: Leo XIII served as pope from 1878 to 1903 and was 93 years old when he died.

Pope Pius IX: Pius IX served as pope from 1846 to 1878 and was 85 years old when he died.

Pope Benedict XVI: Benedict XVI served as pope from 2005 to 2013 and was 85 years old when he resigned.

Pope John Paul II: John Paul II served as pope from 1978 to 2005 and was 84 years old when he died.

What's the difference between the Octave of Christmas and the 12 Days of Christmas?

We sometimes hear of both an octave of Christmas as well as the 12 days of Christmas. Here's a good explanation I found which distinguishes the two!

The octave of Christmas refers to the eight days from December 25th, the day of Christmas, to January 1st, the feast of Mary, Mother of God. The 12 days of Christmas, on the other hand, are the twelve days from December 25th to January 6th, which includes the octave of Christmas as well as the three days before it.

In the Catholic Church, the octave of Christmas is a time of great celebration and rejoicing, as it marks the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. During this time, there are often special Masses and other liturgical celebrations held in honor of the birth of Jesus.

The 12 days of Christmas, on the other hand, are a time of celebration and reflection on the meaning of the birth of Jesus, as well as a time to prepare for the coming of the Epiphany, which celebrates the manifestation of Jesus as the savior of the world. The 12 days of Christmas are traditionally a time of feasting, gift-giving, and merriment, and are often celebrated with special holiday traditions such as caroling and the singing of Christmas carols.

Overall, the octave of Christmas and the 12 days of Christmas are both important times of celebration and reflection in the Catholic Church, and both are marked by special liturgical and cultural traditions.