Death of Benedict XVI: tributes multiply to salute a “great theologian”
The leaders of the world and of the Church reacted quickly on Saturday December 31 to the announcement of the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
AFP PHOTO / ALBERTO PIZZOLI
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From Vladimir Poutine to Emmanuel Macron, the leaders of the world and of the Church reacted quickly on Saturday December 31 to the announcement of the death of the pope emeritus Benedict XVI at the age of 95, paying tribute to the “great theologian” to the “outstanding personality” .
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As the faithful gather in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, tributes from leaders pour in from around the world to salute the memory of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
The comments are numerous in the German media, his country of origin.
Parliament lowered its flags.
Benoit XVI was the first sovereign pontiff to speak in the Bundestag during a visit to his country in 2011, recalls our correspondent in Berlin,
Pascal Thibaut
.
For Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the world has lost a "
significant figure
" of the Catholic Church, also qualifying him as a "
combative personality
" and an "
intelligent theologian
".
Als „deutscher“ #Papst war #BenediktXVI.
für viele nicht nur hierzulande ein besonderer Kirchenführer.
Die Welt verliert eine prägende Figur der katholischen Kirche, eine streitbare Persönlichkeit und einen klugen Theologen.
Meine Gedanken sind bei Papst Franziskus.
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) December 31, 2022
The President of the Republic, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, recalled that “
the election of a pope from the cradle of the Protestant Reformation had been an important signal for many people throughout the world
”.
first german pope
Her compatriot Ursula von der Leyen recalled that the first German pope in history had "
sent a strong signal with his resignation
".
“
He saw himself first and foremost as a servant of God and his Church.
When his physical capacity declined, he continued to serve, through his prayers
,” said the President of the European Commission.
Joseph Ratzinger, his real name, had resigned from his post for health reasons, after eight years of pontificate.
Tributes also came from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who praised his "
tenacious commitment to non-violence and peace
".
French President Emmanuel Macron praised the efforts of the former pope for a "
more fraternal world
" while British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was "
saddened
" by the disappearance of a "
great theologian
".
"
The world has lost one of the greatest theologians of the 20th and 21st centuries, a close collaborator of Saint John Paul II
," said Polish President Andrzej Duda, referring to Joseph Ratzinger's predecessor at the Vatican.
Tributes from Poutine and Meloni
Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Kirill hailed the memory of the former head of the Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013, celebrating an "
eminent theologian
" and defender of "
traditional values
", a concept dear to President Vladimir Putin.
“
I will forever have fond memories of him
,” said the Russian head of state.
For the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni the ex-pope was a “
giant of Faith and Reason
”, as well as a “
great in History whom History will not forget
”.
“
I expressed to the Holy Father Francis my participation and that of the government in his pain and that of the entire ecclesial community
,” she added in a press release.
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