Pope benedict xvi biography video waltham

Last on. Mon 9 Jan GMT. More episodes Previous. The battle for souls in Nepal. Fri 6 Jan GMT. Sat 7 Jan GMT. Sun 8 Jan GMT. BBC World Service. Heart and Soul Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world. By format: Documentaries. This became a subject of controversy during the sex abuse cases. While bishops hold the secrecy pertained only internally, and did not preclude investigation by civil law enforcement, the letter was often seen as promoting a coverup.

In Aprilbefore his election as pope, Ratzinger was identified as one of the most influential people in the world by Time. At the papal conclave"it was, if not Ratzinger, who? And as they came to know him, the question became, why not Ratzinger? And I still remember vividly the then Cardinal Ratzinger sitting on the edge of his chair. Evidently, this time He didn't listen to me.

The day following Ratzinger's election, the German newspaper Bild ran what would become one of its most iconic headlines in response to the announcement of the prior day, Wir Sind Papst We are Pope. At the balcony, Benedict's first words to the crowd, given in Italian before he gave the traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing in Latin, were:. Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the Cardinals have elected me, a simple, humble labourer in the vineyard of the Lord.

The fact that the Lord knows how to work and to act even with insufficient instruments comforts me, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers. In the joy of the Risen Lord, confident of his unfailing help, let us move forward. Thank you. Peter's Squareduring which he was invested with the Pallium and the Ring of the Fisherman. John Lateran.

Benedict of Nursia was the founder of the Benedictine monasteries most monasteries of the Middle Ages were of the Benedictine order and the author of the Rule of Saint Benedictwhich is still the most influential writing regarding the monastic life of Western Christianity. The Pope explained his choice of name during his first general audience in St.

Peter's Square, on 27 April Filled with sentiments of awe and thanksgiving, I wish to speak of why I chose the name Benedict. Firstly, I remember Pope Benedict XV, that courageous prophet of peace, who guided the Church through turbulent times of war. In his footsteps, I place my ministry in the service of reconciliation and harmony between peoples.

I ask him to help us all to hold firm to the centrality of Christ in our Christian life: May Christ always take first place in our thoughts and actions! During Benedict's inaugural Mass, the previous custom of every cardinal submitting to the pope was replaced by being greeted by twelve people, including cardinals, clergy, religious, a married couple and their child, and some who were newly confirmed people; the cardinals had formally sworn their obedience upon the election of the new pontiff.

He began using an open-topped papal carsaying that he wanted to be closer to the people. Benedict continued the tradition of his predecessor John Paul II and baptised several infants in the Sistine Chapel at the beginning of each year, on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lordin his pastoral role as Bishop of Rome. During his pontificate, Benedict XVI beatified people.

Normally, five years must pass after a person's death before the beatification process can begin. However, in an audience with Benedict, Camillo Ruinivicar 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.

Cardinal Ruini inaugurated the diocesan phase of the cause for beatification in the Lateran Basilica on 28 June Mariano de la Mata was beatified in November and Rosa Eluvathingal was beatified on 3 December of that year, and Basil Moreau was beatified in September Unlike his predecessor, Benedict delegated the beatification liturgical service to a cardinal.

During his pontificate, Benedict XVI canonized 45 people. 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. Paul converted the inhabitants. Benedict made only modest changes to the structure of the Roman Curia. When Martino retired ineach council received its own president once again.

Those Councils maintained their separate officials and staffs while their status and competencies continued unchanged, and in MayInterreligious Dialogue was restored to its separate status again with its own president. As pope, one of Benedict's main roles was to teach about the Catholic faith and the solutions to the problems of discerning and living the faith, [ ] a role that he could play well as a former head of the Church's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Open wide the doors for Christ! 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.

Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and pope benedict xvi biography video waltham. 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. That is all we have to do is put ourselves at His disposal It is a message that helps to overcome what can be considered the great temptation of our time: the claim, that after the Big BangGod withdrew from history.

In his explanation and summary of the encyclical, he stated: "If friendship with God becomes for us something ever more important and decisive, then we will begin to love those whom God loves and who are in need of us. God wants us to be friends of His friends and we can be so, if we are interiorly close to them. It is time to reaffirm the importance of prayer in the face of the activism and the growing secularism of many Christians engaged in charitable work.

Continuing what he said in the pre-conclave Mass about what he often referred to as the "central problem of our faith today", [ ] on 6 JuneBenedict also said:. Today, a particularly insidious obstacle to the task of education is the massive presence in our society and culture of that relativism which, recognising nothing as definitive, leaves as the ultimate criterion only the self with its desires.

And under the pope benedict xvi biography video waltham of freedom it becomes a prison for each one, for it separates people from one another, locking each person into his or her own ego. Benedict said that "a dictatorship of relativism" [ ] was the core challenge facing the Church and humanity. At the root of this problem, he said, is Immanuel Kant 's "self-limitation of reason".

This, he said, is contradictory to the modern acclamation of science whose excellence is based on the power of reason to know the truth. He said that this self-amputation of reason leads to pathologies of religion such as terrorism and pathologies of science such as ecological disasters. He said "Absolutizing what is not absolute but relative is called totalitarianism.

In the discussion with secularism and rationalismone of Benedict's basic ideas can be found in his address on the "Crisis of Culture" in the West, a day before Pope John Paul II died, when he referred to Christianity as the "religion of the Logos " the Greek for "word", "reason", "meaning", or "intelligence". He said:. From the beginning, Christianity has understood itself as the religion of the Logosas the religion according to reason It has always defined men, all men without distinction, as creatures and images of God, proclaiming for them In this connection, the Enlightenment is of Christian origin and it is no accident that it was born precisely and exclusively in the realm of the Christian faith.

It was and is the merit of the Enlightenment to have again proposed these original values of Christianity and of having given back to reason its own voice Today, this should be precisely [Christianity's] philosophical strength, in so far as the problem is whether the world comes from the irrational, and reason is not other than a 'sub-product,' on occasion even harmful of its development — or whether the world comes from reason, and is, as a consequence, its criterion and goal In the so necessary dialogue between secularists and Catholics, we Christians must be very careful to remain faithful to this fundamental line: to live a faith that comes from the Logosfrom creative reason, and that, because of this, is also open to all that is truly rational.

Benedict also emphasised that "Only creative reason, which in the crucified God is manifested as love, can really show us the way. In his first encyclical, Deus caritas esthe said that a human being, created in the image of God who is love, can practise love: to give himself to God and others agape by receiving and experiencing God's love in contemplation.

This life of love, according to him, is the life of the saints such as Teresa of Calcutta and the Blessed Virgin Maryand is the direction Christians take when they believe that God loves them in Jesus Christ. The first half is said to have been written by Benedict in German, his first language, in the summer of ; the second half is derived from uncompleted writings left by his predecessor, Pope John Paul II.

It is the first encyclical to be published since the Vatican decided to assert copyright in the official writings of the pope. Benedict's second encyclical titled Spe Salvi "Saved by Hope"about the virtue of hopewas released on 30 November Peter and Paul and released on 7 July He condemned the prevalent economic system "where the pernicious effects of sin are evident," and called on people to rediscover ethics in business and economic relations.

At the time of his resignation, Benedict had completed a draft of a fourth encyclical entitled Lumen fidei "The Light of Faith"[ ] intended to accompany his first two encyclicals to complete a trilogy on the three theological virtues of faithhopeand love. Benedict's successor, Franciscompleted and published Lumen Fidei in Junefour months after Benedict's retirement and Francis's succession.

Although the encyclical is officially the work of Francis, paragraph 7 of the encyclical explicitly expresses Francis's debt to Benedict: "These considerations on faith — in continuity with all that the Church's magisterium has pronounced on this theological virtue — are meant to supplement what Benedict XVI had written in his encyclical letters on charity and hope.

He himself had almost completed a first draft of an encyclical on faith. For this I am deeply grateful to him, and as his brother in Christ I have taken up his fine work and added a few contributions of my own. It was made available in various languages on 13 March in Rome. The English edition of Libera Editrice Vaticana is pages. This apostolic exhortation "seeks to take up the richness and variety of the reflections and proposals which emerged from the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops" which was held in On 7 JulyBenedict issued the motu proprio Summorum Pontificumdeclaring that upon "the request of the faithful", the celebration of Mass according to the Missal of of the Tridentine Masswas to be more easily permitted.

Stable groups who previously had to petition their bishop to have a Tridentine Mass may now merely request permission from their local priest. In an accompanying letter, the Pope outlined his position concerning questions about the new guidelines. He pointed out that the use of Tridentine Mass "was never juridically abrogated and, consequently, in principle, was always permitted.

The Pope considered that allowing the Tridentine Mass to those who request it was a means to prevent or heal schismstating that, on occasions in history, "not enough was done by the Church's leaders to maintain or regain reconciliation and unity" and that this "imposes an obligation on us today: to make every effort to enable for all those who truly desire unity to remain in that unity or to attain it anew.

In JulyPope Francis issued the apostolic letter titled Traditionis custodeswhich substantially reversed the decision of Benedict XVI in Summorum Pontificum and imposed new and broad restrictions on the use of the Traditional Latin Mass. The decision was controversial and widely criticized by conservative and traditionalist Catholics as lacking in charity and an attack on those attached to the liturgical patrimony of the Church.

Near the end of Junethe Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a document approved by Benedict XVI "because some contemporary theological interpretations of Vatican II 's ecumenical intent had been 'erroneous or ambiguous' and had prompted confusion and doubt. Benedict condemned excessive consumerismespecially among youth. He stated in December that "[A]dolescents, youths and even children are easy popes benedict xvi biography video waltham of the corruption of love, deceived by unscrupulous adults who, lying to themselves and to them, draw them into the dead-end streets of consumerism.

Speaking at his weekly audience in St. Peter's Square on 7 JuneBenedict asserted that Jesus himself had entrusted the leadership of the Church to his apostle Peter. Let us pray so that the primacy of Peterentrusted to poor human beings, may always be exercised in this original sense desired by the Lord, so that it will be increasingly recognised in its true meaning by brothers who are still not in communion with us.

In their Common Declaration, they highlighted the previous 40 years of dialogue between Catholics and Anglicans while also acknowledging "serious obstacles to our ecumenical progress". On 4 Novemberin response to a petition by the Traditional Anglican ChurchBenedict issued the apostolic constitution Anglicanorum coetibuswhich authorized the creation of " Personal Ordinariates for Anglicans entering into full communion.

When Benedict ascended to the papacy, his election was welcomed by the Anti-Defamation League who noted "his great sensitivity to Jewish history and the Holocaust ". Critics have accused Benedict's papacy of insensitivity towards Judaism. The two most prominent instances were the expansion of the use of the Tridentine Mass and the lifting of the excommunication on four bishops from the Society of St.

In the Good Friday service, the Tridentine Mass rubrics include a prayer that asks God to lift the veil so they [Jews] may be delivered from their darkness. This prayer has historically been contentious in Judaic-Catholic relations and several groups saw the restoration of the Tridentine Mass as problematic. Benedict's relations with Islam were strained at times.

On 12 Septemberhe delivered a lecture which touched on Islam at the University of Regensburg in Germany. He had served there as a professor of theology before becoming Pope, and his lecture was entitled "Faith, Reason and the University — Memories and Reflections". The lecture received much attention from political and religious authorities. Many Islamic politicians and religious leaders registered their protest against what they labelled an insulting mischaracterization of Islam, although his focus was aimed towards the rationality of religious violence, and its effect on the religion.

The passage originally appeared in the Dialogue Held with a Certain Persian, the Worthy Mouterizes, in Anakara of Galatia [ ] written in as an expression of the views of the Byzantine emperor Manuel II Palaeologusone of the last Christian rulers before the Fall of Constantinople to the Muslim Ottoman Empireon such issues as forced conversionholy warand the relationship between faith and reason.

Benedict planned on 5 Marchto meet with Muslim scholars and religious leaders autumn at a Catholic-Muslim seminar in Rome. Inthe People's Republic of China was accused of using its political influence to stop a meeting between the Pope and the Dalai Lama. While visiting Brazil in May"the pope sparked controversy by saying that native populations had been 'silently longing' for the Christian faith brought to South America by colonizers.

As pontiff, Benedict carried out numerous Apostolic activities, including journeys in Italy and across the world. Benedict travelled extensively during the first three years of his papacy. In addition to his travels within Italy, he made two visits to his homeland, Germany, one for World Youth Day and another to visit the towns of his childhood.

He also visited Poland and Spain, where he was enthusiastically received. His visit was met by nationalist and Islamic protesters [ ] and was placed under unprecedented security measures. In JuneBenedict made a personal pilgrimage and pastoral visit to Assisithe birthplace of St. In September, Benedict undertook a three-day visit to Austria, [ ] during which he joined Vienna's chief rabbiPaul Chaim Eisenberg, in a memorial to the 65, Viennese Jews who perished in Nazi death camps.

In AprilBenedict made his first visit to the United States since becoming pope. Patrick's Cathedralmet with disabled children and their families, and attended an event for Catholic youth, where he addressed some 25, young people in attendance. On 19 July, in St. Mary's Cathedralhe made an apology for child sex abuse perpetrated by the clergy in Australia.

During his visit, he suggested that altering sexual behaviour was the answer to Africa's AIDS crisis and urged Catholics to reach out and convert believers in sorcery. Benedict's main arena for pastoral activity was the Vatican itself, his Christmas and Easter homilies and Urbi et Orbi were delivered from St. Peter's Basilica. The Vatican is also the only regular place where Benedict travelled via motor without the protective bulletproof case common to most popemobiles.

Despite the more secure setting, Benedict was victim to security risks several times inside Vatican City. On Wednesday, 6 Juneduring his General Audience, a man leapt across a barrier, evaded guards, and nearly mounted the Pope's vehicle, although he was stopped and Benedict seemed to be unaware of the event. Peter's Basilica, a woman later identified as year-old Susanna Maiolowho holds Italian and Swiss citizenship, jumped the barrier and grabbed the Pope by his vestments and pulled him to the ground.

The year-old Benedict fell but was assisted to his feet and he continued to proceed toward the altar to celebrate Mass. Roger Etchegaraythe vice-dean of the College of Cardinals, fell as well and suffered a hip fracture. Italian police reported that Maiolo had in a prior action attempted to accost Benedict at the previous Christmas Eve Mass, but was prevented from doing so.

In his homily, Benedict forgave Susanna Maiolo [ ] and urged the world to "wake up" from selfishness and petty affairs, and find time for God and spiritual matters. Following meetings with various dignitaries on his first day on the island, 50, people gathered in a drizzle for Papal Mass on the granaries in Floriana. The Pope also met with the Maltese youth at the Valletta Waterfront, where an estimated 10, young people turned up to greet him.

Prior tothe primary responsibility for investigating allegations of sexual abuse and disciplining perpetrators rested with the individual dioceses. Allen Jr. Driven by that encounter with what he would later refer to as 'filth' in the Church, Ratzinger seems to have undergone something of a 'conversion experience' throughout — From that point forward, he and his staff seemed driven by a convert's zeal to clean up the mess.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols wrote that in his role as head of the CDF "[Ratzinger] led important changes made in church law: the inclusion in canon law of internet offences against children, the extension of child abuse offences to include the sexual abuse of all under 18, the case by case waiving of the statute of limitation and the establishment of a fast-track dismissal from the clerical state for offenders.

Sciclunaa former prosecutor handling sexual abuse cases, "Cardinal Ratzinger displayed great wisdom and firmness in handling those cases, also demonstrating great courage in facing some of the most difficult and thorny cases, sine acceptione personarum [without respect of persons]". This was not always met with approval in the Vatican". In MarchBenedict sent a pastoral letter to the Catholic Church in Ireland addressing cases of sexual abuse by priests of minors, expressing sorrow and promising changes in the way in which accusations of abuse were addressed.

The guidelines asserted that "Civil law concerning reporting of crimes Despite being more proactive than his predecessor in addressing sexual abuse, Benedict was nonetheless cited as failing to do so on more than one occasion. In Januarya report written by German law firm Westpfahl Spilker Wastl and commissioned by the Catholic Church concluded that Cardinal Ratzinger failed to adequately take action against clerics in four cases of alleged abuse while he was Archbishop of Munich and Freising from to The pope emeritus denied the accusations.

However, the error was "not done out of bad faith", but "the result of an error in the editorial processing" of his statement.

Pope benedict xvi biography video waltham: The Boston Pilot is a daily

According to Reuterslawyer Martin Pusch said that "in a total of four cases, we have come to the conclusion that the then Archbishop Cardinal Ratzinger can be accused of misconduct in cases of sexual abuse. In FebruaryBenedict admitted that errors were made in the treating of sexual abuse cases when he was Archbishop of Munich. According to the letter released by the Vatican, he asked forgiveness for any "grievous fault" but denied personal wrongdoing.

Benedict stated: "I have had great responsibilities in the Catholic Church. All the greater is my pain for the abuses and the errors that occurred in those different places during the time of my mandate. The investigation was "discontinued" in March after it "did not reveal sufficient suspicion of criminal activity". The case of the investigation "was not acts of abuse committed by the Church personnel managers themselves, but possible acts of aiding and abetting by active action or omission".

One of the cases Ratzinger pursued involved Marcial Maciela Mexican priest and founder of the Legionaries of Christ who had been accused repeatedly of sexual abuse. According to Jason BerryCardinal Angelo Sodano "pressured" Ratzinger, who was "operating on the assumption that the charges were not justified", to halt the proceedings against Maciel in InBenedict released a 6,word letter that attributed the Church's sexual abuse crisis to an erosion of morality driven by secularization and the sexual revolution of the s.

Pope benedict xvi biography video waltham: In the latter part

Upon Benedict's death, his efforts to combat sexual abuse in the Church were remembered with mixed reactions, in particular by victims' groups. Francesco Zanardi, founder of the Italian victims' group Rete l'Abuso stated that "Ratzinger was less communicative than Francis but he moved" in the right direction, and that he was the first pontiff to effectively do so.

Benedict re-introduced several papal garments which had fallen into disuse. He resumed the use of the traditional red papal shoeswhich had been used since Roman times by popes but which had fallen into disuse during the pontificate of John Paul II. Contrary to the initial speculation of the press that the shoes had been made by the Italian fashion house Pradathe Vatican announced that the shoes were provided by the Pope's personal shoemaker.

The journalist Charlotte Allen described Benedict as "the pope of aesthetics": "He has reminded a world that looks increasingly ugly and debased that there is such a thing as the beautiful — whether it's embodied in a sonata or an altarpiece or an embroidered cope or the cut of a cassock — and that earthly beauty ultimately communicates a beauty that is beyond earthly things.

Prior to his election as pope inRatzinger had hoped to retire — on account of age-related health problems, a long-held desire to have free time to write, and the retirement age for bishops 75 — and submitted his resignation as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith three times, but continued at his post in obedience to the wishes of John Paul II.

In SeptemberRatzinger suffered a haemorrhagic stroke, which slightly impaired his eyesight temporarily but from which he recovered completely. Following his election in April there were several rumours about the Pope's health, but none of them were confirmed.

Pope benedict xvi biography video waltham: He served in the Secretariat

Early in his pontificate Benedict predicted a short reign, which led to concerns about his health. French cardinal Philippe Barbarin said that since the first stroke Ratzinger had been suffering from an age-related heart condition, for which he was on medication. In late November Vatican insiders told the international press that the Pope had had a routine examination of the heart.

On 17 JulyBenedict was hospitalized after falling and breaking his right wrist while on vacation in the Alps; his injuries were reported to be minor. Following the announcement of his resignation, the Vatican revealed that Benedict had been fitted with a pacemaker while he was still a cardinal, before his election as pope in The battery in the pacemaker had been replaced three months earlier, a routine procedure, but that did not influence his decision.

On 11 Februarythe Vatican confirmed that Benedict would resign the papacy on 28 Februaryas a result of his advanced age, [ ] becoming the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in The move was unexpected, [ ] as all popes in modern times had held office until death. Benedict was the first pope to resign without external pressure since Celestine V in He also declared that he would continue to serve the Church "through a life dedicated to prayer".

According to a statement from the Vatican, the timing of the resignation was not caused by any specific illness but was to "avoid that exhausting rush of Easter engagements". On the eve of the first anniversary of Benedict's resignation he wrote to La Stampa to deny speculation he had been forced to step down. Speculation about its invalidity is simply absurd," he wrote.

On the morning of 28 FebruaryBenedict met with the full College of Cardinals and in the early afternoon flew by helicopter to the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo. He stayed there until refurbishment was completed on his retirement home, the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican Gardens near St. Peter's, former home of twelve nuns, where he moved on 2 May After his resignation, Benedict retained his papal name rather than reverting to his birth name.

He ceased wearing red papal shoes. The inscription on the statue, according to Cardinal Giovanni Lajolohas the coat of arms of the two popes to symbolize the fact that the statue was commissioned by Benedict and consecrated by Francis. In it was reported that Benedict had multiple health problems including high blood pressure and had fallen out of bed more than once, but the Holy See denied any specific illnesses.

Peter's Basilica on 22 February to attend the first papal consistory of his successor Francis. Benedict entered the basilica through a discreet entrance and was seated in a row with several other cardinals. He doffed his zucchetto when Francis came down the nave of St. Peter's Basilica to greet him. In AugustBenedict celebrated Mass at the Vatican and met with his former doctoral students, an annual tradition he had kept since the s.

Benedict attended the consistory for new cardinals in Februarygreeting Francis at the beginning of the celebration. While at Castel Gandolfo, Benedict participated in two public events. It includes books by or about him and his studies, many donated by Benedict himself. Benedict, in Augustsubmitted a handwritten card to act as a testimony to the cause of canonization of Pope John Paul I.

In MarchBenedict gave an interview expressing his views on mercy and endorsing Francis's stress on mercy in his pastoral practice. The pope emeritus was honoured by the Roman Curia and Francis in at a special audience, honouring the 65th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. That November, he did not attend the consistory for new cardinals, rather meeting with them and Francis at his residence afterward.

In JuneBenedict received newly created cardinals in his chapel and spoke with each of them in their native language. The former pope suffered the hematoma earlier after having slipped. In lateBenedict collaborated on a book expressing that the Catholic Church must maintain its discipline of clerical celibacyin light of ongoing debate on the issue, though later requested his name to be removed from the book as co-author.

In JuneBenedict visited his dying brother Georg in Germany for the last time. On 3 AugustBenedict's aides disclosed that he had an inflammation of the trigeminal nerve. Benedict became the longest-lived pope, whose age can be verified, on 4 September at 93 years, days, surpassing the age of Pope Leo XIII. Following the consistory of 27 AugustFrancis and the newly created cardinals paid a brief visit to Benedict at Mater Ecclesiae Monastery.

On 28 DecemberPope Francis said at the end of his pope benedict xvi biography video waltham that Benedict was "very sick" and asked God to "comfort him and support him in this testimony of love for the Church until the end". Benedict died on 31 December at am Central European Time at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery at the age of 95, due to cardiogenic shock, resulting from respiratory failure that evolved from a parenchymal insufficiency.

From 2 to 4 JanuaryBenedict's body lay in state in St. Peter's Basilica, during which aroundpeople paid their respects. The best-known title, that of "Pope", did not appear in the official list of titles, but is commonly used in the titles of documents, and appears, in abbreviated form, in their signatures as "PP. Before 1 Marchthe list of titles also used to contain that of a " Patriarch of the West ", which traditionally appeared in that list of titles before "Primate of Italy".

The title of "Patriarch of the West" was removed in the edition of Annuario Pontificio. According to Achille SilvestriniBenedict chose to remove the title at a time as a "sign of ecumenical sensitivity" on the issue of papal primacy. Inthe Pope listed several ways to combat the spread of HIV, including chastity, fidelity in marriage, and anti-poverty efforts; he also rejected the use of condoms.

I would say that this problem of AIDS cannot be overcome merely with money, necessary though it is. If there is no human dimension, if Africans do not help, the problem cannot be overcome by the distribution of prophylactics: on the contrary, they increase it. The solution must have two elements: firstly, bringing out the human dimension of sexuality, that is to say a spiritual and human renewal that would bring with it a new way of behaving towards others, and secondly, true friendship offered above all to those who are suffering, a willingness to make sacrifices and to practise self-denial, to be alongside the suffering.

In Novemberin a book-length interview, Benedict, using the example of male prostitutes, stated that the use of condoms, with the intention of reducing the risk of HIV infection, may be an indication that the prostitute is intending to reduce the evil connected with his immoral activity. Further, in Decemberthe Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith explained that Benedict's statement did not constitute a legitimization of either contraception or prostitution, which remains gravely immoral.

During his time as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith CDFCardinal Ratzinger made several efforts to tackle the issue of homosexuality within the Catholic Church and the wider world. The letter condemned a liberal interpretation of the earlier CDF document Declaration on Certain Questions Concerning Sexual Ethicswhich had led to a "benign" attitude "to the homosexual condition itself".

On the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons clarified that the Church's position on homosexuality was that "although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil; and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder. Such treatment deserves condemnation from the Church's pastors wherever it occurs.

InRatzinger again approved CDF documents declaring that homosexual "inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder" and extended this principle to civil law. On 22 DecemberBenedict gave an end-of-year message to the Roman Curia in which he talked about gender and the important distinction between men and women. He said that the Church viewed the distinction as central to human nature, and "asks that this order of creation be respected".

In his words, the Church must "protect man from self-destruction". He said "something like a human ecology" was needed, and added: "Rain forests deserve indeed to be protected, but no less so does man. Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi claimed the Pope had not wished specifically to attack people with homosexual inclinations, and had not mentioned gays or lesbians in his text.

Lombardi insisted that there had been an overreaction to the pope's remarks, saying: "He was speaking more generally about gender theories which overlook the fundamental difference in creation between men and women and focus instead on cultural conditioning. In an address to a conference of the Diocese of Rome held at the basilica of St. John Lateran 6 JuneBenedict remarked on the issues of same-sex marriage and abortion: [ ].

The various forms of the dissolution of matrimony today, like free unions, trial marriages and going up to pseudo-matrimonies by people of the same sex, are rather expressions of an anarchic freedom that wrongly passes for true freedom of man During a Christmas speech, [ ] Benedict made remarks about the present-day interpretation of the pope benedict xvi biography video waltham of gender.

He stated that a new philosophy of sexuality, which he rejects, suggests that "sex is no longer a given element of nature, that man has to accept and personally make sense of: it is a social role that we choose for ourselves", and "The words of the creation account: 'male and female he created them' Gen no longer apply". Although he did not mention the topic, his words were interpreted by news media as denunciations of same-sex marriage, [ ] with some outlets adding that Benedict would have called it a threat to world peace similar to abortion and euthanasia.

In a message released 14 Novemberduring a Vatican press conference for the annual observance of World Day for Migrants and Refugeesthe Pope urged the ratification of international conventions and policies that defend all migrants, including refugees, exiles, evacuees and internally displaced persons. Benedict also promoted various UN events, such as World Refugee Dayon which he offered up special prayers for refugees and called for the international community to do more to secure refugees' human rights.

He also called on Catholic communities and organizations to offer them concrete help. Init was reported that Benedict was "praying for migrants and refugees" from Syria. InBenedict sent a letter at Easter to Catholics in China that could have wide-ranging implications for the Church's relationship with China's leadership. The letter provides long-requested guidance to Chinese bishops on how to respond to illicitly ordained bishops, as well as how to strengthen ties with the Patriotic Association and the Communist government.

On 13 NovemberBenedict said that the dispute over the North Korea nuclear weapons program should be resolved through negotiations, in his first public comment on the security issue, a news report said. In a Le Figaro interview, Ratzinger said that Turkey, which is demographically Muslim but governmentally secular by virtue of its state constitutionshould seek its future in an association of Muslim nations rather than the European Union, which Ratzinger stated has Christian roots.

He said Turkey had always been "in permanent contrast to Europe and that linking it to Europe would be a mistake". Later visiting the country to "reiterate the solidarity between the cultures," it was reported that Benedict made a counter-statement backing Turkey's bid to join the EU. In MayBenedict visited Israel. Vatican officials called the meeting "a significant stage in the progress of bilateral relations with Vietnam.

In JulyBenedict published his third encyclical, Caritas in veritate [ ] Charity in truthsetting out the philosophical and moral foundations for human development, individually and collectively, in striving for the common good. This was the last encyclical of Benedict XVI's papacy. Caritas in veritate makes a case for the charitable distribution of wealth in considerable detail and discusses the environment, migration, terrorism, sexual tourism, bioethics, energy and population.

The Financial Times reported that Benedict's advocacy for a fairer redistribution of wealth helped set the agenda for the July G8 summit. Also included in Charity in Truth is advocacy for tax choice :. One possible approach to development aid would be to apply effectively what is known as fiscal subsidiarity, allowing citizens to decide how to allocate a portion of the taxes they pay to the State.

Provided it does not degenerate into the promotion of special interests, this can help to stimulate forms of welfare solidarity from below, with obvious benefits in the area of solidarity for development as well. Benedict supported the peaceful use of nuclear energy as a tool for development and the fight against poverty. In his message for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the International Atomic Energy Agencyhe confirmed: "The Holy See, fully approving of the IAEA's goal, has been a member from the organisation's foundation and continues to support its activity.

Benedict was known to be deeply interested in classical music, [ 22 ] and was an accomplished pianist. Benedict was also known to be fond of cats. This story was inspired by an orange tabby Pentling cat, which belonged to the family next door. Thank you for your generous response. I bless all of you from my heart. Benedict XVI wrote 66 books, three encyclicals, and four apostolic exhortations.

At his death, prior criticism of Benedict XVI received renewed attention, particularly that from public health officials, anti-AIDS activists, and victim's rights organizations over his handling of sexual abuse cases within the Catholic Church and position on usage of condoms in areas of high HIV transmission. Welby referred to the former pope as "one of the greatest theologians of his age", while Kirill praised conciliatory efforts undertaken between the Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches during Benedict's pontificate.

In he created the successor to the decree. But the majority of the people denied the Messiah on his first coming,' reads the February issue's cover story According to the newsletter article, this is why the Bible's Gospel of Matthew states, 'His blood be upon us and upon our children,' a phrase historically used by some Christians to justify anti-Semitism.

Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. This is the latest accepted revisionreviewed on 25 January Head of the Catholic Church from to MarktlBavaria, Germany. Christian theology ecclesiology. Rejection of dehellenization Hermeneutic of continuity.

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Pope benedict xvi biography video waltham: NORTH ARLINGTON -- When

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