Pope Benedict RESIGNING

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248001/burkina-faso-names-street-in-honor-of-pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi

Burkina Faso names street in honor of Pope emeritus Benedict XVI
By CNA Staff
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Jun 15, 2021 / 08:00 am

A cardinal in Burkina Faso said Sunday that the naming of a street after Pope emeritus Benedict XVI “brings hope” to the country, Africa, and the world.

Cardinal Philippe Ouédraogo was speaking at a June 13 ceremony unveiling the newly named Rue Pape Benoît XVI (Pope Benedict XVI Street) in the capital, Ouagadougou.

The thoroughfare was previously called street 54.160, reported ACI Africa, CNA’s African news partner. It is the location of the country’s apostolic nunciature.

Ouédraogo described Benedict XVI, who served as pope from 2005 until his retirement in 2013, as a great pastor whose name “brings hope to Burkina Faso, to Africa, and to the world and promotes the spirit of dialogue, reconciliation, justice and peace in the hearts of all people.”

“Let us make this street a place where peace awakens faith,” the archbishop of Ouagadougou added.
 

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https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2021/06/benedict-xvi-to-mark-70-years-as-priest-with-brothers-choir/

Benedict XVI to mark 70 years as priest with brother’s choir
Elise Ann Allen  Jun 28, 2021

ROME – This week marks the 70th anniversary of retired Pope Benedict XVI’s ordination as a priest – an anniversary his personal secretary says will be celebrated with things of personal significance: The liturgy, and former members of his late brother’s choir.

Speaking to Rome Reports, German Archbishop Georg Gänswein, head of the Prefecture for the Papal Household and Benedict XVI’s personal secretary, said the choir was a surprise for Benedict.

For Benedict XVI, “surprises are always related to the liturgy,” Gänswein said, noting that for the June 29 anniversary, “We’ve invited a group of former members of the choir from Regensburg who learned to sing alongside his brother.”
 
According to Gänswein, Benedict XVI is physically weak and is unable to stand for the half-hour Mass that will be celebrated in honor of his priestly ordination, “so he concelebrates Mass.”

“He sits in a wheelchair next to the altar while I act as the main celebrant,” Gänswein said, adding, “We do this every day. There hasn’t been a day since his ordination that he hasn’t celebrated or concelebrated Mass.”

Benedict, he said, “remembers that the ceremony that day was long. He also recalls the dignified manner of the prestigious and older Cardinal (Michael von) Faulhaber, who ordained him.”

“The cardinal made a lasting impression on him. His life as a priest was marked by that day in 1951,” Gänswein said.

Speaking of Benedict’s physical condition, Gänswein described him as “very fragile” physically, and is unable to speak much because his voice is also weak, but “thank God, his mind continues to work very well.”

Overall, Benedict “is in good spirits and says, ‘Every day I begin with the Lord and end with the Lord. We’ll see how long it lasts,’” he said.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2021-06/pope-angelus-peter-and-paul-benedict-xvi-lebanon-osservatore.html

Pope thanks Benedict XVI for his continuing service
29 June 2021, 16:29

Marking the 70th anniversary from the ordination of the Pope Emeritus, Pope Francis upholds his continuing service and describes him as “the contemplative of the Vatican” who prays for the Church and the diocese of Rome.
By Linda Bordoni

Pope Francis on Tuesday said he is marking an anniversary “hat touches the hearts of us all: 70 years ago, Pope Benedict was ordained a priest!”

Addressing the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus prayer on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, the patron saints of the city of Rome, the Pope said: that “To you, Benedict, dear father and brother, goes our affection, our gratitude and our closeness. “

He told those present that the Pope Emeritus lives in a monastery, “a place intended to house the contemplative communities here in the Vatican, so that they could pray for the Church.”

He is now the contemplative of the Vatican, the Pope continued, who spends his life praying for the Church and for the diocese of Rome, of which he is bishop emeritu: “Thank you, Benedict, dear father and brother. Thank you for your credible witness. Thank you for your gaze, constantly directed towards the horizon of God: thank you!"
 
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248181/pope-francis-thanks-benedict-xvi-on-his-70th-ordination-anniversary
Pope Francis thanks Benedict XVI on his 70th ordination anniversary
By Courtney Mares
Vatican City, Jun 29, 2021 / 12:00 pm

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248494/benedict-xvi-laments-lack-of-faith-within-church-institutions-in-germany#.YP7OA3DJyac.twitter

Benedict XVI laments lack of faith within Church institutions in Germany
By CNA Staff
Freiburg, Jul 26, 2021 / 06:30 am

Pope emeritus Benedict XVI has expressed concern about the lack of faith within Church institutions in Germany.

The retired pope made the comments in a written conversation in the August issue of the German magazine Herder Korrespondenz, marking the 70th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner.

“In Church institutions -- hospitals, schools, Caritas -- many people participate in decisive positions who do not share the inner mission of the Church and thus in many cases obscure the witness of this institution,” he said.

In an exchange with Tobias Winstel, the 94-year-old reflected on the concept of the “Amtskirche,” a German term that can be translated as “institutional Church” and is used to refer to the large number of Church-tax funded structures and institutions in Germany.
 

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https://www.catholicsun.org/2021/08/03/as-he-turns-65-archbishop-ganswein-not-dwelling-on-his-situation/

As he turns 65, Archbishop Gänswein not dwelling on his situation
BY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
AUG 3, 2021

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — On July 30, Archbishop Georg Gänswein celebrates his 65th birthday. For most bishops, this is not a particularly special day, since normally they only must submit their retirement at 75.

All the same, Archbishop Gänswein has a feeling similar to what many retirees feel: of falling into a kind of a hole when turning 65. In an interview with Germany’s Catholic news agency, KNA, he said he is still interested in taking on fresh tasks.

“Holy Father, give me counsel: What should I do?” was the German archbishop’s appeal in mid-January 2020 to Pope Francis. At the time, there was a worldwide uproar about a book by Cardinal Robert Sarah about the priesthood, which included a contribution from retired Pope Benedict XVI. Many observers saw it as a rejection of Pope Francis’ reform ideas. Some of this interpretation is attributed to how the French publisher presented the book, but Archbishop Gänswein’s role also was discussed.

Pope Francis’ response struck the archbishop like a thunderbolt, KNA reported. Archbishop Gänswein was to remain at home and was told that he no longer needed to come to the prefecture.

“I want you to have more time for Benedict,” Pope Francis was said to have told him. Since then, Archbishop Gänswein formally remains prefect of the papal household, but is tasked with tending exclusively to the retired pope.
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249006/benedict-xvi-legalization-of-same-sex-marriage-is-a-distortion-of-conscience

Benedict XVI: Legalization of same-sex marriage is ‘a distortion of conscience’
By Hannah Brockhaus
Vatican City, Sep 16, 2021 / 09:15 am

Pope emeritus Benedict XVI has said that the legalization of same-sex marriage in many countries is “a distortion of conscience” which has also entered some Catholic circles.

In an introduction to a new anthology of his writings on Europe, Benedict XVI said that “with the legalization of ‘same-sex marriage’ in 16 European countries, the issue of marriage and family has taken on a new dimension that cannot be ignored.”

“We are witnessing a distortion of conscience which has evidently penetrated deeply into sectors of the Catholic people,” the pope emeritus wrote. “This cannot be answered with some small moralism or even with some exegetical reference. The problem goes deeper and therefore must be addressed in fundamental terms.”

The introduction, published in the Italian newspaper Il Foglio on Sept. 16, was written for the Italian book “The Real Europe: Identity and Mission.”

Pope Francis wrote the preface to the book, which compiles texts from Benedict XVI written both before and during his pontificate, which lasted from 2005 to 2013.

Pope Francis wrote the preface to the book, which compiles texts from Benedict XVI written both before and during his pontificate, which lasted from 2005 to 2013.

In the preface, Francis wrote that “beyond so many words and high-sounding proclamations, today in Europe the very idea of respect for every human life is increasingly lost, starting with the loss of awareness of its sacredness, that is, precisely starting from the obfuscation of the consciousness that we are creatures of God.”

“Benedict XVI is not afraid to denounce, over the years, with great courage and foresight the many manifestations of this dramatic renunciation of the idea of creation, up to the current, final consequences, described in an absolutely clear and convincing way in the introductory text,” Pope Francis said.

In his introduction, Benedict XVI said it was important to observe that the concept of “same-sex marriage” is “in contradiction with all the cultures of humanity that have followed one another up to now, and thus signifies a cultural revolution that is opposed to the whole tradition of humanity until today.”
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249152/old-testament-expert-and-philosopher-from-germany-win-2021-ratzinger-prize

Old Testament expert and philosopher from Germany win 2021 Ratzinger Prize
By Hannah Brockhaus
Vatican City, Oct 1, 2021 / 08:00 am

A philosopher and an Old Testament theologian from Germany have been named the winners of the 2021 edition of the Ratzinger Prize.

The Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Foundation announced Friday that the annual award will go to Hanna-Barbara Gerl-Falkovitz and Ludger Schwienhorst-Schönberger.

Pope Francis will present the award to the two recipients in a ceremony at the Vatican on Nov. 13.

The Ratzinger Prize was launched in 2011 to recognize scholars whose work demonstrates a meaningful contribution to theology in the spirit of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the Bavarian theologian who became Benedict XVI.
 

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http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249327/i-hope-that-i-can-join-them-soon-benedict-xvi-sends-condolence-message-after-friend-s-death

‘I hope that I can join them soon’: Benedict XVI sends condolence message after friend’s death
By CNA Staff
Wilhering, Austria, Oct 19, 2021 / 09:00 am

Pope emeritus Benedict XVI has said that he looks forward to joining his friends in heaven in a condolence message following the death of a Cistercian priest.

In a letter dated Oct. 2 and released by Wilhering Abbey in Austria, the 94-year-old retired pope said that the death of Fr. Gerhard Winkler touched him profoundly, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner.

“The news of the passing of Prof. Dr. Gerhard Winkler O. Cist., which you have conveyed to me, has affected me deeply,” wrote Benedict XVI, who was pope from 2005 to 2013.

“Among all colleagues and friends, he was the closest to me. His cheerfulness and deep faith always attracted me.”

“Now he has arrived in the next world, where I am sure many friends are already waiting for him. I hope that I can join them soon.”
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249351/archbishop-ganswein-benedict-xvi-is-full-of-zest-for-life
Benedict XVI is ‘full of zest for life,’ says Archbishop Gänswein
By CNA Staff
Vatican City, Oct 21, 2021 / 04:40 am

Archbishop Georg Gänswein has said that Benedict XVI is “full of zest for life” after the pope emeritus expressed the hope that he would join his friends in heaven in a condolence message.

Gänswein, Benedict XVI’s private secretary, spoke to Germany’s Bild newspaper on Oct. 20 after media reports suggested that the 94-year-old retired pope had a “longing for death,” said CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner.

“The art of dying well, that is, ars moriendi, is part of the Christian life. Pope Benedict has been doing that for many years,” Gänswein said.

“Yet he is absolutely full of zest for life. He is stable in his physical weakness, crystal clear in his head, and blessed with his typical Bavarian humor.”
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249523/pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-marks-10th-anniversary-of-orthodox-leader-s-death

Benedict XVI marks 10th anniversary of Orthodox leader’s death
By CNA Staff
Fribourg, Switzerland, Nov 8, 2021 / 05:00 am

Pope emeritus Benedict XVI has paid tribute to an Orthodox leader on the 10th anniversary of his death.

In a letter dated Oct. 11, the retired German pope said it seemed “inconceivable” that a decade had passed since the death of Metropolitan Damaskinos Papandreou, the first Greek Orthodox metropolitan of Switzerland, in 2011.

CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner, reported that Benedict XVI made the comment in a message to a conference held in the metropolitan’s honor on Nov. 5 at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland.

Metropolitan Damaskinos, a bishop of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, was born in Thermo, Greece, on Feb. 23, 1936. He was elected as the first metropolitan of Switzerland in 1982.

The author of numerous works on ecumenism, he served as the metropolitan bishop of Adrianople from 2003 until his death on Nov. 5, 2011, at the age of 75.

“That 10 years have already passed since the death of Metropolitan Damaskinos Papandreou of Switzerland is quite inconceivable to me,” the pope emeritus wrote in his message, addressed to Metropolitan Maximos of Switzerland and Professor Stefanos Athanasiou.

The letter was read out in a video message to the conference by Cardinal Kurt Koch, the Swiss president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
 

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Hmmm....

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249526/vatican-liturgy-chief-traditional-latin-mass-was-abrogated-by-pope-st-paul-vi
Vatican liturgy chief: Traditional Latin Mass ‘abrogated by Pope St. Paul VI’
By CNA Staff
Vatican City, Nov 8, 2021 / 09:00 am

The Vatican’s liturgy chief has said that the Traditional Latin Mass was “abrogated by Pope Saint Paul VI.”

Archbishop Arthur Roche made the comment in a letter dated Aug. 4 to the English Cardinal Vincent Nichols.

The prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments was replying to a letter from the cardinal dated July 28, regarding the application of Pope Francis’ motu proprio Traditionis custodes in England and Wales.

A spokesman for Cardinal Nichols confirmed in a email to CNA on Nov. 8 that the correspondence, published on Nov. 5 by the website Gloria.tv, was genuine.
 
In a letter to the world’s bishops accompanying Summorum Pontificum, Benedict XVI wrote that the pre-conciliar liturgy was “never juridically abrogated.”

“As for the use of the 1962 Missal as a Forma extraordinaria [extraordinary form] of the liturgy of the Mass, I would like to draw attention to the fact that this Missal was never juridically abrogated and, consequently, in principle, was always permitted,” he said in the letter dated July 7, 2007.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2021-11/pope-francis-discourse-ratzinger-prize-winner.html

Pope: Ratzinger Prize enriches human and spiritual heritage
13 November 2021, 12:20

Pope Francis addresses past and current winners of the prestigious Ratzinger Prize, recalling that the award, given in Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's name, enriches an immense human and spiritual heritage to be shared.
By Francesca Merlo

Speaking on Saturday on the occasion of the presentation of the annual Ratzinger Prize, Pope Francis greeted all those present, and in particular the prize winners, offering them a warm welcome.

The Ratzinger Prize

The prestigious Ratzinger Prize is given to two scholars each year who stand out for their scientific research in the field of theology, regardless of their religious faith. Due to the pandemic, last year's winners, Professors Jean-Luc Marion and Tracey Rowland were unable to celebrate, and so are celebrating along with this year's winners, Professors Hanna-Barbara Gerl-Falkovitz and Ludger Schwienhorst-Schönberger.
 
Joseph Ratzinger

The Pope then went on to speak of Joseph Ratzinger, whom he described as one of the many teachers who "educate us to think in order to live our relationship with God and with others ever more profoundly, to direct human action with virtues and above all with love". Benedict XVI, said the Pope, is a theologian who was "able to open and nourish his reflection and his cultural dialogue towards all these directions together, because faith and the Church live in our time and are friends of every search for truth".

With this prize being given in his name, continued the Pope, it is an opportunity for me to "address once again our affectionate, grateful and admiring thoughts to him". The Pope recalled that just a few months ago they celebrated Benedict XVI's 70th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. "We feel that he accompanies us in prayer, keeping his gaze constantly fixed on God's horizon".

"Let us not forget that Benedict XVI continued to study and write until the end of his pontificate", continued the Pope. About ten years ago, while fulfilling his governmental responsibilities, he was busy completing his trilogy on Jesus "and thus leaving us a unique personal testimony of his constant search for the face of the Lord".
 

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Photos at the link

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249587/benedict-xvi-meets-with-recipients-of-the-ratzinger-prize?fbclid=IwAR3koxBF16vcAyidl6_j2IvcazlvUZxbN7x8OzvtbFx7gH2RkW5an49lE9A
Benedict XVI meets with recipients of the Ratzinger Prize
By Courtney Mares
Vatican City, Nov 13, 2021 / 13:35 pm

Benedict XVI met with four recipients of the Ratzinger Prize at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican on Saturday.

The meeting lasted one hour and allowed each of the academics to discuss their work with the pope emeritus, according to a statement from the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation. Before parting ways, the group prayed a Hail Mary together.
 

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https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2021/11/retired-popes-publisher-presents-him-with-copy-of-his-first-contract/

Retired pope’s publisher presents him with copy of his first contract
By Catholic News Service
Nov 16, 2021

BERLIN — The German publishing company Verlag Herder GmbH has paid tribute to retired Pope Benedict XVI, 94, as its most loyal and oldest living author.

The German Catholic news agency KNA reported that, during a recent visit to the Vatican, publisher Manuel Herder presented the retired pope with a copy of his first author’s contract from 65 years ago.

On Nov. 8, 1956, the then-29-year-old theologian signed a contract to work on the “Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche” (“Encyclopedia for Theology and the Church”). His contribution included an article on the “resurrection of the flesh.”

Herder said that, during his visit, the retired pope had shown great interest in the theological works he had brought with him.

“He laughed and said with amusement, ‘If you bring me so many books, you must also bring me the time to read them.'”
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249774/archbishop-ganswein-benedict-xvi-had-three-covid-vaccine-doses-out-of-conviction

Archbishop Gänswein: Benedict XVI had three COVID-19 vaccine doses ‘out of conviction’
By CNA Staff
Vatican City, Dec 3, 2021 / 12:00 pm

Archbishop Georg Gänswein has said that both he and Benedict XVI have received three COVID-19 vaccine doses “out of conviction.”

The pope emeritus’ private secretary made the remark in a nine-page interview in the December edition of the German publication Vatican-magazin.

The Vatican began administering doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine in January and confirmed in February that the pope emeritus had received the second dose of the vaccine. It began to administer the third dose in October.
 
CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner, reported that the archbishop described Benedict XVI as “stable in his physical frailty and, thank God, crystal clear in his head.”

“But it is also understandable that at 94 and after the death of his brother, which took its toll on him, his physical strength continued to decline. It is similar with his voice. The best medicine for him is humor and a steady daily rhythm,” the archbishop said.
 

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Photos at the link

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249836/benedict-xvi-receives-nativity-scene-from-bavaria
Benedict XVI receives nativity scene from homeland of Bavaria
By CNA Staff
Vatican City, Dec 9, 2021 / 13:00 pm

Pope emeritus Benedict XVI received a nativity scene from his homeland of Bavaria on Wednesday.

An association dedicated to maintaining and promoting nativity scenes presented Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Benedict XVI’s personal secretary, with two cribs. One was for the retired German pope and the other for Pope Francis, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner.

The presentation of the nativity scenes took place during a pilgrimage to Rome by members of the Verband Bayerischer Krippenfreunde, led by its president, Msgr. Martin Martlreiter.

The group was joined by Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg, a diocese in Bavaria, a federal state in the southeast of Germany known as a Catholic heartland.

The nativity scenes were presented to Gänswein at the offices of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization.

Voderholzer met with Benedict XVI on Dec. 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, at the Vatican.
 

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250103/10-things-to-know-about-pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi

10 things to know about Pope emeritus Benedict XVI
By Kevin J. Jones
Denver Newsroom, Jan 14, 2022 / 13:00 pm

Pope emeritus Benedict XVI served as pope from 2005 to 2013. He was born Joseph Ratzinger on April 16, 1927, at Marktl in the German state of Bavaria. He turns 95 soon.

There is lots to know about this man who became a priest, archbishop, a cardinal, and even a former pope.

He is fond of cats, pianos, and Mozart.

When he was a cardinal living in Rome, he would prepare plates of food for stray cats. If friendly cats near his Vatican offices were hurt, he would bandage their wounds.

As of 2005, the year he became pope, Benedict had a black-and-white short-haired cat named Chico living at his home in Bavaria.

When he moved to live in the Vatican apartments, he still had to follow the rules: no cats or dogs allowed.

His other interests include the piano, which he played for years. The composer Mozart is a favorite.

“His music still touches me very deeply, because it is so luminous and yet at the same time so deep,” he told interviewer Peter Seewald in the 1996 book “Salt of the Earth.” “His music is by no means just entertainment; it contains the whole tragedy of human existence.”

His brother Georg, who also became a priest, made a career of music: he became choirmaster at St. Peter’s Cathedral in the Bavarian city of Regensburg.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2022-01/sex-abuse-report-munich-ratzinger-marx-holy-see-statement.html

Report on abuse in Munich diocese: 497 victims in 74 years
20 January 2022, 14:49

A press conference presents the report by a law firm commissioned by the Church. The mandate was to look into the handling of abuse cases by the archbishops of Munich between 1945 and 2019, including then-Cardinal Ratzinger. Holy See Press Office director Matteo Bruni tells journalists: "We are waiting to examine the contents of the document” and expresses grief for abuses and closeness to all victims.
By Salvatore Cernuzio

At least 497 people were abused in the Archdiocese of Munich-Freising over a period of almost 74 years (from 1945 to 2019). Most of them were young; 247 are male victims and 182 are female. Sixty percent of the victims were between the ages of 8-14. The report identifies 235 perpetrators of abuse including 173 priests, nine deacons, five pastoral workers, 48 people from the school environment. This is the data presented in the report on clerical abuse in the Church of Munich, compiled by the Westpfahl Spilker Wastl law firm, which was commissioned by the archdiocese in February 2020.

Two-hour press conference
The report was presented this morning during a two-hour press conference in the "Haus der Deutschen Wirtschaft," in the presence of representatives of the diocese but in the absence of Cardinal Reinhard Marx. Also present were members of the Archdiocesan Abuse Victims' Council. During the meeting, excerpts from the over 1,000-page report were read out by attorney Martin Pusch, head of the law firm in charge, and by attorney Marion Westphal.

Some of the numbers
The report, focused on the handling of past abuse cases, is based on information gathered through colloquiums and interviews with victims as well as those who held, and still hold, positions of responsibility in the archdiocese. Of the 71 people surveyed, 56 of them responded to the request. Statements were compared at the end of August 2021. The names of sixty-five "actual or suspected" perpetrators of abuse were submitted. According to experts, the number of unreported crimes would be "considerably higher."

Reviewing the management
Specifically, the report reviews the management of a succession of archbishops: Cardinals Michael von Faulhaber, Joseph Wendel, Julius Doepfner, Joseph Ratzinger, Friedrich Wetter, and Reinhard Marx. The report also examined Cardinal Ratzinger's years as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; Ratzinger, Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, served as Archbishop of Munich from 1977 to 1982. The independent commission reportedly identified four cases that occurred during the ministry of then-Cardinal Ratzinger, with those responsible for the abuses still remaining in office. The authors of the report believe he would have had responsibility, while acknowledging that the Pope Emeritus - as they put it - answered their questions and said he had no knowledge of the situation. The most egregious case, involving a priest from the diocese of Essen who was later transferred to Munich, has been known since 2010.
 
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250159/archbishop-ganswein-benedict-xvi-is-praying-for-victims-in-wake-of-munich-abuse-report
Archbishop Gänswein: Benedict XVI is praying for victims in wake of Munich abuse report
By CNA Staff
Vatican City, Jan 20, 2022 / 10:57 am

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250158/cardinal-marx-shocked-and-ashamed-by-munich-abuse-report
Cardinal Marx ‘shocked and ashamed’ by Munich abuse report
By CNA Staff
Munich, Germany, Jan 20, 2022 / 09:20 am

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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250193/benedict-xvi-confirms-he-attended-disputed-1980-meeting-in-munich

Benedict XVI confirms he attended disputed 1980 meeting in Munich
By CNA Staff
Munich, Germany, Jan 24, 2022 / 03:38 am

Pope emeritus Benedict XVI has apologized for mistakenly saying that he did not attend a disputed meeting in 1980 while serving as archbishop of Munich and Freising.

In a statement published in the German Catholic weekly Die Tagepost on Jan. 24, the 94-year-old retired pope said that the mistake was the result of an editing error, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner.

Benedict XVI initially told investigators that he was not present at a meeting of archdiocesan officials on Jan. 15, 1980.

But in the statement, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Benedict XVI’s private secretary, said that the pope emeritus “would now like to make it clear that, contrary to what was stated during the hearing, he took part in the ordinariate meeting on Jan. 15, 1980.”

“The statement to the contrary was therefore objectively incorrect,” he said.

“He would like to emphasize that this was not done out of bad faith, but was the result of an error in the editing of his statement. He will explain how this came about in the pending statement. He is very sorry for this mistake and asks for this mistake to be excused.”
 
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250036/benedict-xvi-munich-and-cover-up-claims-why-an-old-allegation-is-resurfacing
Benedict XVI, Munich, and cover-up claims: why an old allegation is resurfacing
By Andrea Gagliarducci
Rome Newsroom, Jan 6, 2022 / 10:20 am

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2022-01/munich-report-sexual-clerical-abuse-germany-ratzinger.html

The Munich report and Ratzinger's fight against abuse
26 January 2022, 11:30

Following the publication of the investigation, the years of the Pope Emeritus’ Bavarian episcopate are in the spotlight. It's only fair to remember Benedict XVI’s fight against clerical paedophilia during his pontificate and his willingness to meet and listen to the victims, asking them for forgiveness.
By Andrea Tornielli

The words that were used during the press conference to present the report on abuse in the Archdiocese of Munich, as well as the seventy-two pages of the document dedicated to the brief Bavarian episcopate of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, have filled the newspapers in the past week and have triggered some very strong comments. The Pope emeritus, with the help of his collaborators, did not evade the questions of the law firm commissioned by the Archdiocese of Munich to draw up a report that examines a very long span of time, from the episcopate of Cardinal Michael von Faulhaber to that of the current Cardinal Reinhard Marx. Benedict XVI provided an 82-page response, after having been able to examine some of the documentation in the diocesan archives. Predictably, it was Ratzinger's four and a half years at the helm of the Bavarian diocese that monopolized the attention of commentators.
 
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250224/munich-abuse-report-vatican-editorial-director-says-don-t-look-for-scapegoats
Munich abuse report: Vatican editorial director says don’t look for ‘scapegoats’
By Courtney Mares
Vatican City, Jan 26, 2022 / 08:15 am

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250210/munich-abuse-report-cardinal-wetter-apologizes-for-mishandling-of-case
Munich abuse report: Cardinal Wetter apologizes for mishandling case
By CNA Staff
Munich, Germany, Jan 25, 2022 / 12:00 pm