FOG BLOG VATICAN LOG: POPE EMERITUS BENEDICT XVI WHO WAS IN POOR HEALTH DIES AT AGE 95!

Pope emeritus Benedict XVI dies at age 95 Catholic scholar and champion of orthodoxy was forced to confront priest abuse Benedict XVI, who led the Roman Catholic Church through a period of transformation, controversy and scandal before becoming the first pontiff in 600 years to resign, has died.

The pope emeritus was 95. Benedict had been expected to make his papacy largely about reasserting traditional conservative Roman Catholic doctrine but ended up spending much of it dealing with the fallout of the church's sexual abuse scandal.

At 78, Benedict was elected as pontiff in April 2005, so his term had always been expected to be short, relative to his predecessors.

Known more for teachings than charisma

He was the oldest cardinal to become pope since Clement XII in 1730 and was seen by many as a "transitional" leader.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, a Catholic scholar known more for his rigorous theological teachings than his charisma, was an unexpected choice. Some considered him too polarizing and radical compared to his populist predecessor, John Paul II. Benedict made history when, on Feb. 28, 2013, he became the first pope in almost 600 years to resign.

Pope Gregory XII, in 1415, was the last to quit while in office.

Benedict cited his age — he was 85 — and deteriorating health as reasons for his resignation. In late 2022, those who had seen Benedict said his body was very frail but his mind was still sharp. However, Italian news reports said he had been suffering from respiratory problems over the Christmas period. His decision to resign after holding the papacy for less than eight years caught Catholics around the world and even some of his closest advisers off guard.

Many expected his papacy to be characterized by a strict conservative interpretation of Roman Catholic doctrine.

While he definitely used his time as pope to espouse his vision of a "purer" Catholic Church and denounce the "dictatorship of relativism" he saw as permeating modern secular society and infiltrating parts of the church, he held what would be considered liberal positions on many social issues.