As he remarked during his 2008 visit to the White House, “the need for global solidarity is as urgent as ever, if all people are to live in a way worthy of their dignity,”" Biden added. "May his focus on the ministry of charity continue to be an inspiration to us all." Pope seeks immunity in Texas abuse case", The Sydney Morning Herald 17 August 2005. Retrieved 8 October 2011 WebCitation archive

Dulles, s.j., Avery (October 1983). "The Catholicity of the Augsburg Confession". The Journal of Religion. 63 (4): 337–354. doi: 10.1086/487060. JSTOR 1203403. S2CID 170148693. From 2 to 4 January 2023, Benedict's body lay in state in St. Peter's Basilica, during which around 195,000 people paid their respects. [288] His funeral took place on 5 January 2023 in St. Peter's Square at 9:30 am, presided over by Pope Francis and celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. [289] This was the first time since 1802 that a pope had attended a funeral for his predecessor. [290] The funeral was attended by an estimated 50,000 people. [291] Some attendees held signs reading or shouted " Santo subito", calling for his elevation to sainthood, a cry heard previously at the funeral of John PaulII. [292] Benedict was interred in the crypt beneath St. Peter's Basilica, in the same tomb originally occupied by John Paul II and John XXIII. [291] The tomb was opened to the public on 8 January 2023. [293] Titles and styles Babbel.com; GmbH, Lesson Nine. "The Tale of the Polyglot Pope". Babbel Magazine . Retrieved 4 September 2022. Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to Him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us? ... And once again the Pope said: No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful, and great. No! Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation. ... When we give ourselves to Him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ– and you will find true life. [105] Disillusioned German Catholics: From Liberal to Conservative". Der Spiegel. 20 September 2011 . Retrieved 17 February 2013.In August 2014, Benedict celebrated Mass at the Vatican and met with his former doctoral students, an annual tradition he had kept since the 1970s. [251] He attended the beatification of Pope PaulVI in October 2014. [252] Weeks before this, he joined Francis in Saint Peter's Square for an audience with grandparents to honour their importance in society. [253]

On 9 May 2005, Benedict XVI began the beatification process for his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. Normally, five years must pass after a person's death before the beatification process can begin. However, in an audience with Benedict, Camillo Ruini, vicar general of the Diocese of Rome and the official responsible for promoting the cause for canonization of any person who dies within that diocese, cited "exceptional circumstances" which suggested that the waiting period could be waived. (This had happened before, when Pope Paul VI waived the five-year rule and announced beatification processes for two of his own predecessors, Pope PiusXII and Pope JohnXXIII. Benedict XVI followed this precedent when he waived the five-year rule for John Paul II. [82]) The decision was announced on 13 May 2005, the Feast of Our Lady of Fátima and the 24th anniversary of the attempt on John Paul II's life. [83] John Paul II often credited Our Lady of Fátima for preserving him on that day. Cardinal Ruini inaugurated the diocesan phase of the cause for beatification in the Lateran Basilica on 28 June 2005. [84]

In March 2016, Benedict gave an interview expressing his views on mercy and endorsing Francis's stress on mercy in his pastoral practice. [262] Also that month, a Vatican spokesman stated that Benedict was "slowly, serenely fading" in his physical health, although his mental capacity remained "perfectly lucid". [263] Parker, Claire (31 December 2022). "The significant – and controversial – statements that shaped Pope Benedict XVI's legacy". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286 . Retrieved 31 December 2022. In 2005, his first year as pope, he was accused in a lawsuit of having personally covered up a priest’s abuse of three boys in Texas. He avoided the lawsuit by requesting and receiving diplomatic immunity from the State Department.

In 6 Languages, Benedict XVI Gets Comfortable With His Audience". The New York Times. 27 April 2005. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 4 September 2022. Ratzinger's 2001 letter De delictis gravioribus clarified the confidentiality of internal church investigations, as defined in the 1962 document Crimen sollicitationis, into accusations made against priests of certain crimes, including sexual abuse. This became a subject of controversy during the sex abuse cases. [63] For 20 years, Ratzinger had been the man in charge of enforcing the document. [64] During his pontificate, Benedict XVI canonized 45 people. [88] He celebrated his first canonizations on 23 October 2005 in St. Peter's Square when he canonized Josef Bilczewski, Alberto Hurtado, Zygmunt Gorazdowski, Gaetano Catanoso, and Felice da Nicosia. The canonizations were part of a mass that marked the conclusion of the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops and the Year of the Eucharist. [89] Benedict canonized Bishop Rafael Guizar y Valencia, Theodore Guerin, Filippo Smaldone, and Rosa Venerini on 15 October 2006.Ratzinger defended and reaffirmed Catholic doctrine, including teaching on topics such as birth control, homosexuality, and inter-religious dialogue. The theologian Leonardo Boff, for example, was suspended, while others such as Matthew Fox were censured. Other issues also prompted condemnations or revocations of rights to teach: for instance, some posthumous writings of Jesuit priest Anthony de Mello were the subject of a notification. Ratzinger and the congregation viewed many of them, particularly the later works, as having an element of religious indifferentism (in other words, that Christ was "one master alongside others"). In particular, Dominus Iesus, published by the congregation in the jubilee year 2000, reaffirmed many recently "unpopular" ideas, including the Catholic Church's position that "salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." The document angered many Protestant churches by claiming that they are not churches, but "ecclesial communities". [62] He could go around and minister to victims, which he did, and I think that was a brave and profound thing to do, but he couldn’t change the definitive elements of the Catholic Church that enable abuse,” said Michael D’Antonio, author of “Mortal Sins: Sex, Crime, and the Era of Catholic Scandal.” Tadeusz T. Reroń Tadeusz T., Wierzyć – celebrować – żyć!, „Nowe Życie” [zarchiwizowane z adresu 2012-07-22] .