Former Pope Benedict XVI asks for forgiveness, thanks God in final published letter - CNN

CNN  — 

Former Pope Benedict XVI, who died Saturday successful a monastery successful the Vatican astatine the property of 95, asked for forgiveness for those helium has “wronged” successful the spiritual testament published pursuing his death.

Benedict, who was the archetypal pontiff successful astir 600 years to resign his position, alternatively than clasp bureau for life, passed distant connected Saturday, according to a connection from the Vatican.

He was elected pope successful April 2005, pursuing John Paul II’s death.

During the testament, which consisted of a missive containing the pope’s last words, Benedict spoke of the “many reasons” helium had to beryllium thankful for his life.

In the missive dated August 29, 2006, the erstwhile pope thanked God for guiding him “well” passim life. He besides expressed gratitude to his parents who helium said gave him “life successful a hard time.”

He went connected to convey his sister for her “selfless” assistance and his member for the “clarity of judgment” helium shared with him.

Benedict was known to beryllium much blimpish than his successor, Pope Francis, who has made moves to soften the Vatican’s presumption connected termination and homosexuality, arsenic good arsenic doing much to woody with the intersexual maltreatment situation which engulfed the religion successful caller years and clouded Benedict’s legacy.

In April 2019, Benedict discussed the enactment maltreatment situation successful a nationalist letter, claiming it was caused successful portion by the intersexual gyration of the 1960s and the liberalization of the church’s motivation teachings.

In January 2020, Benedict was forced to region himself from a publication wide seen arsenic undercutting Francis arsenic helium considered whether to let joined men to go priests successful definite cases. The book, “From the Depths of Our Hearts,” argued successful favour of the centuries-old contented of priestly celibacy wrong the Catholic Church. Benedict was primitively listed arsenic co-author, but aboriginal clarified helium had lone contributed 1 conception of the text.

A twelvemonth later, Benedict came nether occurrence implicit his clip arsenic archbishop of Munich and Freising, betwixt 1977 and 1982, pursuing the work of a church-commissioned study into maltreatment by Catholic clergy there.

In the 2006 letter, the erstwhile pope asked “sincerely” for “forgiveness” for those helium “wronged successful immoderate way,” successful his letter.

In the closing words, the erstwhile pontiff asked “humbly,” contempt each his “sins and shortcomings,” helium beryllium welcomed by God into heaven.

In a abstracted missive published by the Vatican successful February 2022, Benedict issued a wide apology to survivors of abuse, writing: “Once again I tin lone explicit to each the victims of intersexual maltreatment my profound shame, my heavy sorrow and my heartfelt petition for forgiveness,” but helium admitted to nary idiosyncratic oregon circumstantial wrongdoing.

There is nary proposition his petition for forgiveness successful his last missive relates to the Catholic Church’s handling of intersexual maltreatment accusations against priests.