Former Pope Benedict XVI dies in Vatican monastery aged 95 | CNN

CNN —

Pope Francis led tributes to his predecessor on Saturday, after Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died in a monastery in the Vatican at the age of 95.

“We are moved as we recall him as such a noble person, so kind and we feel such gratitude in our hearts, gratitude to god for giving him to the church, and to the world,” Francis said in Saint Peter’s Basilica while leading traditional vespers ceremony ahead of New Year’s Day.

“Gratitude to him for all the good he accomplished and above all for his witness of faith and prayer, especially in these last years of his life. Only God knows the value of his sacrifices for the good of the church,” Francis added.

Benedict, who was the first pontiff in almost 600 years to resign his position, rather than hold office for life, passed away on Saturday, according to a statement from the Vatican.

“With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican,” the Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Matteo Bruni said.

Francis went to see Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI soon after he passed away Saturday morning, according to Bruni.

The funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI will be held on Thursday in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City at 9:30 a.m. local time, Bruni said. The funeral will be led by Pope Francis.

The former pope’s body will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican from Monday for the faithful to bid farewell, Vatican News reported. As per the wish of Pope Emeritus, his funeral will be “simple,” Bruni said.

The funeral of the former pope, pictured on December 25, 2007, will take place on January 5. Alessandra Tarantino/AP

News of Benedict’s death came days after Pope Francis asked the faithful to pray for him, saying he was “very sick.”

His health had been in decline for some time.

Benedict stunned the Catholic faithful and religious experts around the world on February 11, 2013, when he announced plans to step down from his position as Pope, citing his “advanced age.”

In his farewell address, the outgoing pope promised to stay “hidden” from the world, but he continued to speak out on religious matters in the years following his retirement, contributing to tensions within the Catholic Church.

A powerful and polarizing voice

Benedict was a powerful force in the Catholic Church for decades. Born Joseph Ratzinger in Germany in 1927, he was the son of a policeman. He was ordained as a priest in 1951, made a cardinal in 1977, and later served as chief theological adviser to Pope John Paul II.

One of his most significant steps up came in 1981 when he took over as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, the Vatican office that oversees “the doctrine on the faith and morals throughout the Catholic world,” according to the Vatican.

Ratzinger became known as “Cardinal No” stemming from his efforts to crack down on the liberation theology movement, religious pluralism, challenges to traditional teachings on issues such as homosexuality, and calls to ordain women as priests.

He was elected pope in April 2005, following John Paul II’s death.

He was known to be more conservative than his successor, Pope Francis, who has made moves to soften the Vatican’s position on abortion and homosexuality, as well as doing more to deal with the sexual abuse crisis that has engulfed the church in recent years and clouded Benedict’s legacy.

The former pope, pictured on September 9, 2007, was known to be more conservative than his successor, Pope Francis. Robert Jaeger/AP

In April 2019, Benedict discussed the sex abuse crisis in a public letter, claiming that it was caused in part by the sexual revolution of the 1960s and the liberalization of the church’s moral teachings.

In January 2020, Benedict was forced to distance himself from a book widely seen as undercutting Francis as he considered whether or not to allow married men to become priests in certain cases. The book, “From the Depths of Our Hearts,” argued in favor of the centuries-old tradition of priestly celibacy within the Catholic Church. Benedict was originally listed as co-author, but later clarified that he had only contributed one section of the text.

A year later, Benedict came under fire over his time as archbishop of Munich and Freising, between 1977 and 1982, following the publication of a Church-commissioned report into abuse by Catholic clergy there.

The report found that while in the post he had been informed of four cases of sexual abuse involving minors – including two that had occurred during his time in office – but failed to act. It also revealed Benedict had attended a meeting about an abuser identified as Priest X. Following the report’s publication, Benedict pushed back against accusations that he knew in 1980 that this priest was an abuser.

In a letter released by the Vatican amid the furor, Benedict wrote that he was “of good cheer” as he faced “the final judge of my life,” despite his shortcomings. He also issued a general apology to survivors of abuse.

‘Giant of faith and reason’

Global leaders paid homage to the former pope, following his death. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Church of England, said he is “mourning” the former pope.

“Pope Benedict was one of the greatest theologians of his age – committed to the faith of the Church and stalwart in its defence,” Welby said in a statement Saturday.

“In all things, not least in his writing and his preaching, he looked to Jesus Christ, the image of the invisible God. It was abundantly clear that Christ was the root of his thought and the basis of his prayer.

“In 2013 Pope Benedict took the courageous and humble step to resign the papacy, the first Pope to do so since the fifteenth century. In making this choice freely he acknowledged the human frailty that affects us all,” he added.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, said he will remember the former pope with “love and gratitude.”

“Saddened to learn of the demise of His Holiness Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI,” European Parliament President Roberta Metsola tweeted Saturday.

“Europe mourns him. May he rest in peace.”

The leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, on Saturday told Pope Francis he had received news of Benedict’s passing with “sorrow,” according to the message shared on the official website of the Moscow Patriarchate.

“His Holiness’s many years of life marked a whole epoch in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, which he led in a difficult historical period, associated with many external and internal challenges,” Kirill said of Benedict.

Kirill added relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church had “developed significantly” during Benedict’s tenure, in an effort to “overcome the sometimes-painful legacy of the past.”

“On behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church, I express my condolences to you and the flock of the Roman Catholic Church,” he continued.

The Dalai Lama on Sunday offered his condolences to the members of the Catholic Church after Benedict’s death.

“I pray for our spiritual brother,” he wrote, “and offer my condolences to the members of the Catholic Church.”

“At a time when we are seeing tension in several parts of the world, we can take a lesson from the life of Pope Benedict and do what we can to contribute to religious harmony and global peace.”

US President Joe Biden said the late pontiff “will be remembered as a renowned theologian, with a lifetime of devotion to the Church, guided by his principles and faith.”

Biden, the second Catholic to serve as President of the United States, reflected on his meeting with Benedict at the Vatican in 2011, saying he remembered “his generosity and welcome as well as our meaningful conversation.”

“As he remarked during his 2008 visit to the White House, ‘the need for global solidarity is as urgent as ever, if all people are to live in a way worthy of their dignity.’ May his focus on the ministry of charity continue to be an inspiration to us all,” Biden added.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also paid tribute. “I am saddened to learn of the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI,” Sunak tweeted Saturday.

“He was a great theologian whose UK visit in 2010 was an historic moment for both Catholics and non-Catholics throughout our country.

Global leaders have paid homage to the former German-born pope, pictured on September 12, 2006. Jens Meyer/AP

The Archbishop of Canterbury hailed the former Pope, pictured on November 30, 2005, as "one of the greatest theologians of his age." Plinio Lepri/AP

Italy’s new Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni voiced her admiration for the former pope. “Benedict XVI was a giant of faith and reason. He put his life at the service of the universal Church and spoke, and will continue to speak, to the hearts and minds of men with the spiritual, cultural and intellectual depth of his Magisterium,” she tweeted Saturday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is leading Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, called the former pope “a staunch defender of traditional Christian values.”

Jack Guy Valentina Di Donato Sugam Pokharel Sharon Braithwaite James Frater Allegra Goodwin

'Our final goodbye': Thousands mourn Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI ...

Eric J. Lyman

USA TODAY

VATICAN CITY – The Catholic Church conducted a unique ceremony Thursday that blended centuries-old funeral rites with newly created adaptations as it bid farewell to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who died Saturday at age 95.

“We now offer our final goodbye to Pope Emeritus Benedict and we commend him to God, our merciful and loving father,” declared Pope Francis, Benedict’s successor, who oversaw the hour-long event.

“God’s faithful people, gathered here now, accompany and entrust to him the life of the one who was their pastor.”

Afterward, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re passed around the former pope’s coffin with incense, a traditional and symbolic funeral rite.

Previously:Former Pope Benedict XVI, first to resign papacy in roughly 600 years, dies following illness

'The pope is gone':Catholics gather at Vatican City to mourn Pope Benedict's death

Unprecedented funeral for the 'pope emeritus'

The funeral was marked by novel changes, largely because he resigned unexpectedly in 2013, the first pope to do so in six centuries.

An institution built on precedent, the Vatican has no blueprint for the funeral of a pope emeritus. Even Pope Gregory XII, who in 1415 was the last pope to step down, offered no help, because after leaving the papacy he reverted to being a cardinal.

On Thursday, every public reference to Benedict was as “pope emeritus” (rather than “pope” as in previous papal funerals), and some prayers were broadened to reflect that Benedict was not the sitting pope when he died. The most obvious change was that Francis became the first sitting pope to preside over the funeral of his predecessor.

Vatican faces an unprecedented challenge:How to hold a funeral for Pope Emeritus Benedict

How Benedict's death may affect the church

According to key Vatican watchers, Benedict’s death removed his long shadow of influence both for the church’s progressive wing, led by Francis, as well as for the more canonic and conservative wing Benedict represented.

“Benedict’s death makes way for new conservative leaders to emerge within the church,” said author and Vatican analyst Marco Ansaldo.

Ansaldo mentioned Archbishop Carlo Viganò, the Vatican’s former nuncio (ambassador) to the U.S.; Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke of Wisconsin; Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; and Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, as church figures who make take on a more high-visibility role in Benedict’s absence. All have been critics of Francis’ papacy.

“Pope Francis will also be freer now,” Ansaldo said. “Freer in the short term to stake stances that may have seemed an affront to Benedict previously, and freer in the medium term to potentially resign himself if the physical demands of the job become too much. There was little chance he would have resigned while Benedict was still alive.”

Ansaldo and other analysts have said one of Benedict’s lasting legacies may be that he set the table for other popes to retire rather than to serve until their deaths.

'A servant of God'

Among the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square Thursday, few addressed the internal machinations of the Vatican. Instead, people said they came to honor the man who led the world’s 1.1 billion Catholics from 2005 to 2013.

“He was a servant of God, which is all any of us can aspire to be,” said Mark Timothy Anderson, a Philadelphia native and school administrator in Rome on vacation with his family.

Another American, seminarian Reginald Fromme, of Rhode Island, said he was honored to be on hand for what he called a historic occasion.

“When I am an old priest I will be proud to be able to say I attended the funeral of Pope Benedict, who was one of the great popes,” he said.

About 60,000 people stood and sat during the well-choreographed event in St. Peter’s Square, amid cold weather and beneath cloudy skies. That number was far less than the estimated 500,000 who packed into the square for the funeral of Pope John Paul II, who was pontiff for 27 years until 2005.

Biden not among politicians, leaders in attendance

Among those on hand Thursday were newly installed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Fiala, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, and former Spanish Queen Sofía.

The Vatican asked the U.S. be represented by Joe Donnelly, the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

President Joe Biden, a devout Catholic whose views on abortion rights and gay marriage run contrary to those of the Vatican, paid his respects at the Vatican’s embassy in Washington. Biden spent about five minutes writing a note in a condolence book.

Biden called Benedict a brilliant scholar and "truly Holy Man" who he learned much from when they discussed Catholic theology during a Vatican visit.

"May his soul," Biden wrote, "rest eternally with the Lord.”

Contributing: Maureen Groppe.

Pope Benedict XVI, whose resignation shocked Catholics, dies at 95

Pope Benedict XVI, the first pope in nearly 600 years to resign as the head of the Catholic Church, died Saturday.

Benedict, who was previously known as Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, was 95. His death follows reports this week that his health had been failing.

A statement from Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni on Saturday morning said: “With pain I inform that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesia Monastery in the Vatican.”

The Vatican also announced that Pope Francis will celebrate the funeral Mass for Benedict Thursday in St. Peter's Square and Benedict’s remains will be on public display in St. Peter’s Basilica starting Monday for the faithful to pay respects. Benedict’s request was that his funeral would be celebrated solemnly but with “simplicity,” Bruni said.

Benedict received the sacrament of the anointing of the sick Wednesday after his daily Mass, Bruni said.

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How long was Pope Benedict a pope?

The church elected Benedict to the papacy in 2005, and Benedict served until 2013. He succeeded Pope John Paul II and was the 265th person to take on the role.

He became a priest in 1951 in Germany, and he held several prominent leadership roles in the church, including the dean of the College of Cardinals, a governing body within the Catholic Church that, among other things, is responsible for electing the pope.

Why did Pope Benedict resign?

At the time, he said he was relinquishing the role due to his ailing health.

"Both strength of mind and body are necessary, strengths which in the last few months have deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me," he said.

Benedict was 85 at the time.

Benedict stayed living at the Vatican. He continued to wear a white cassock, though he stopped wearing the iconic red shoes. He instead adopted a pair of brown shoes he received on a trip to Mexico in 2012. He also gave up the papal ring.

What was pope Benedict known for?

Benedict was a theologian and was generally known for his traditional interpretation of what Catholicism should be. He allowed greater use of a traditional form of mass conducted in Latin, a move praised by conservatives and criticized by others as regressive.

He also introduced a new form of English mass in 2011 that again delighted traditionalists, but critics called it dull because it hewed more closely to the Latin original.

For example, when priests said "The Lord be with you," parishioners had responded, "And also with you." In the new version, they were expected instead to say in response, "And with your spirit," which threw off many current and former Catholics. (It even inspired comedic skewering.)

In 2012, Benedict became the first pope to use Twitter. Within hours of the account's announcement, 200,000 people had followed the account. It had nearly 3 million followers just weeks later.

How will Benedict be remembered as pope?

Benedict's decision to step down was shocking to many Catholics and observers of the church. Traditionally, the pope serves in the role until his death, and few have voluntarily given up the role.

Beyond his decision to resign, Benedict was widely criticized for the church's handling of clergy sex abuse cases in Germany when he was the archbishop of Munich. He had asked for forgiveness for "grievous faults" in connection to the cases, but didn't admit to having done anything wrong. He was also criticized for not taking more aggressive action as pope to punish cardinals and bishops who oversaw sexual abuses in the church.

Benedict was known for speaking against gay marriage, saying it was a threat to humanity's future.

Benedict also faced criticism for joining the Hitler Youth at 14 in 1941, though the church and others noted he was legally required to do so. He was later drafted into the German army at 16, but he deserted in 1945 to rejoin the seminary, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Contact Chris Quintana at (202) 308-9021 or cquintana@usatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter at @CQuintanadc

Joseph Ratzinger, former Pope Benedict XVI, shaped Catholic ...

CNN —

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, whose death at 95 was announced Saturday, was a powerful intellectual force who shaped the Catholic Church’s theology for more than a quarter century before shocking the world by resigning in 2013.

While not quite unprecedented, Benedict’s resignation was highly unusual. Popes typically hold office until death, and the last pope to step down was Gregory XII, who quit in 1415 to end a civil war within the church.

Bookended by globally popular and charismatic popes – St. John Paul II and Pope Francis – Benedict cut a different figure. Friends and biographers described him as quiet and scholarly, more at home among theological tomes than adoring crowds.

In typical fashion, Benedict announced his unexpected resignation in Latin. He was 85 at the time and cited his advanced age as ill-suited for the demands of running the Catholic Church.

The German-born Benedict saw himself, and the church, as a bulwark against secular trends in Western society, particularly what he called the “dictatorship of relativism.” He often insisted that Catholics maintain a fortress mentality, saying perhaps a smaller, “purer” church would best maintain Catholicism’s traditions and teachings.

As Pope, Benedict was a polarizing figure. He was hailed by conservatives who admired his erudite writings and careful theology. But critics, particularly in the postmodern West, called him “God’s Rottweiler” for his staunch insistence on fidelity to church’s doctrine and his willingness to silence dissent.

“He policed the boundaries of the faith,” said David Gibson, author of “The Rule of Benedict,” a biography of the former pope. “He was brilliant and brutally effective.”

Benedict also came under fire for his handling of the sexual abuse crisis that engulfed the Catholic church during his years as a senior cleric. A damning report published in January 2022 found that he knew about priests who abused children but failed to act when he was archbishop of Munich from 1977 to 1982.

The son of a policeman

Joseph Ratzinger was born and raised in Bavaria, where he briefly served in the Hitler Youth, despite his objections, and the German military during World War II. His father, a policeman, loathed the Nazis, according to biographers.

Ratzinger, like his elder brother Georg, saw their future in the Catholic Church, entering a German seminary in 1945. Once ordained, Ratzinger rose quickly through the church, establishing himself as a leading theologian. Originally a liberal thinker, he turned conservative in 1968 in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, which upended a number of Catholic teachings.

In 1977, Ratzinger was appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising. Later that year, former Pope Paul VI made the German scholar a cardinal, a sign of his growing reputation within the church.

From 1981 to 2005, Ratzinger ran the Vatican’s influential Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), the office responsible for stating and policing church doctrine. He was, in effect, Catholicism’s chief theologian during this time, said Gibson, Benedict’s biographer.

“His twenty-four years at the CDF were far more influential than his tenure as pope,” Gibson said.

His influence was certainly felt in the United States. In 1984, Ratzinger told the Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominicans, to investigate one of its monks, Matthew Fox, for heresy. The Vatican expelled Fox from the order in 1993.

In 1999, Ratzinger effectively silenced an American nun and priest engaged in LGBTQ ministry because they would not affirm the “Church’s teaching regarding the intrinsic evil of homosexual acts.” The nun and priest were “permanently prohibited from any pastoral work involving homosexual persons.”

But Ratzinger eventually tired of the job, reportedly asking Pope John Paul II to appoint him as a librarian at the Vatican’s library. John Paul refused.

‘Please don’t do this to me’

Ratzinger was dean of the College of Cardinals in 2005 when he became the sixth German to be picked as pope, the first since the 11th century. At the time, the church was facing several pressing issues, including declining popularity in parts of the world and a growing crisis over its role in handling sexual abuse accusations against priests.

As the conclave to appoint Pope John Paul II’s successor went on, Ratzinger said he quickly realized that he would be elected as the new Pope – though he was reluctant to assume the mantel of St. Peter.

“At a certain point, I prayed to God, ‘Please don’t do this to me,’” he told a German audience in 2005. “Evidently, this time he didn’t listen to me.”

Upon his election, Ratzinger took the name Benedict XVI as a nod to church history, he said. He chose the name to honor Benedict XV, who pursued peace during World War I, and the original St. Benedict, a monk “whose life evokes the Christian roots of Europe,” Ratzinger said.

At 78, he was the oldest person to have been elected pope since Pope Clement XII in 1730. Given his age, Benedict XVI was widely seen as a caretaker pope, a bridge to the next generation after the long tenure of John Paul II, a globe-trotting pontiff whose early youth and vigor gave way to such frailty in later years that he required help walking and was often hard to hear during public addresses.

In his tone, demeanor and actions, Benedict was notably different from his predecessor. Where John Paul wowed crowds around the world with his mastery of numerous languages, Benedict’s influence was felt through his erudite writings and theological rigor.

“In a world which he considered relativist and secular, his main thrust was to re-establish a sense of Catholic identity for Catholics themselves,” said Delia Gallagher, CNN’s Vatican correspondent.

As Pope, Benedict often championed a back-to-basics approach. Three of his encyclicals – letters from the Pope to Catholics around the world – were based on the theological virtues of faith, hope and love.

Bill Donohue, of the conservative US Catholic League, credited Benedict for working to reduce friction among adherents of various faiths, something that was a key part of John Paul’s mission as well.

But critics say Benedict didn’t always choose his words wisely. During a speech in Regensburg, Germany in 2006, he quoted a 14th century Byzantine emperor who criticized Islam, calling it violent, “evil and inhuman.”

His remarks were sharply criticized by heads of states in the Middle East and Muslim groups throughout the world. Effigies of Benedict were burnt in Basra, Iraq, and elsewhere in predominantly Muslim countries.

Benedict later apologized, saying he was “deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address.”

Criticism over sexual abuse crisis

Benedict became pope at the height of the molestation scandal involving Catholic priests, as complaints of sexual abuse and related lawsuits tore at the church and threatened its moral standing around the world.

In 2002, he asked Pope John Paul II to route all accusations of sexual abuse to his office, where he instituted changes meant to deal swiftly with accused priests. From 2004-2014, the Vatican defrocked 848 priests who raped or molested children and sanctioned another 2,572 with lesser penalties, according to the church. During that time, his office had received 3,400 accusations, according to the church.

The flood of accusations worldwide has waned at times but has never stopped.

In 2008, Benedict acknowledged “the shame which we have all felt” over abuse reports and said those responsible for the “evils” should face justice. Two years later he said abusive priests “disfigured their ministry” and brought “profound shame and regret” on the church.

That same year, 2010, he issued new rules aimed at stopping abuse. These included allowing church prosecution of suspected abusers for 20 years after the incidents occurred, up from 10 years previously. The rules also made it a church crime to download child pornography and allowed the pope to remove a priest without a formal Vatican trial.

In some cases, Benedict acted swiftly, as when he removed Marcial Maciel, a powerful Mexican priest who founded the conservative Legion of Christ, after years of allegations that he had sexually abused children.

“No one did more to successfully address the problem of priestly sexual abuse than Joseph Ratzinger,” Donohue said.

But others such as the late Barbara Blaine, the former president of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said the opposite was true.

“I would hate for him to be remembered as someone who did the right thing because from our perspective, Pope Benedict’s record has been abysmal,” said Blaine, who died in 2017.

In 2010, The New York Times reported that church officials, including Ratzinger, had failed to act in the case of a Wisconsin priest accused of molesting up to 200 boys. The Times reported that church officials stopped proceedings against the priest after he wrote Ratzinger.

Also in 2010, the Times reported that the future pope – while serving as the archbishop in Munich – had been copied on a memo informing him that a priest accused of molesting children was being returned to pastoral work. At the time, a spokesman for the archdiocese said Ratzinger received hundreds of memos a year, and it was highly unlikely that he had read it.

Twelve years later, a Church-commissioned report into abuse by Catholic clergy in the diocese found that Ratzinger had as archbishop been informed of four cases of sexual abuse involving minors – including two that had taken place while he was in office – but failed to act. In a letter published by the Vatican in February 2022, Benedict issued a general apology to survivors of abuse, writing: “Once again I can only express to all the victims of sexual abuse my profound shame, my deep sorrow and my heartfelt request for forgiveness.”

Over the years, victims’ groups pressed the International Criminal Court to prosecute Benedict in the sex abuse scandal.

David Gibson, Benedict’s biographer, said that, like many in the Vatican, the former pope was initially slow to recognize the magnitude of the church’s abuse crisis.

“Like so many in the church, he was part of the learning curve,” Gibson said.

The anti-Francis

Ultimately, however, Benedict showed little skill or interest in governing the vast and complex world of the Catholic Church, Gibson said.

In 2012, his butler was convicted of theft for leaking confidential papal documents to fight what he saw as deep corruption within the Holy See.

A year later, Benedict announced his resignation.

Since then, Benedict, who chose the name Pope Emeritus and continued to wear the traditional papal white, rarely left his monastery high on a hill in Vatican City, where he promised to live a “hidden life.”

Still, conservative Catholics tried to draw Benedict out, or at least use him as counterweight to the more liberal papacy of Francis. Some Catholics looked to him as an anti-Pope, or at least an anti-Francis.

The contrast between the two men was dramatized in a 2019 Netflix film, “The Two Popes,” which earned Anthony Hopkins an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Benedict.

The Rev. Joseph Fessio, an American Jesuit who studied under Benedict and has published his works at Ignatius Press, said the former Pope likely knew that conservatives were trying to pit him against Francis.

“In some ways, he has become the face of ‘the Resistance,’” Fessio said, “even though he hasn’t done anything to be a resistor.”

Benedict preferred to be called something more modest.

Before he left Rome in 2013, a crowd of 10,000 people gathered to bid him an emotional farewell.

“I am no longer the Pope but I am still in the church,” Benedict said. “I’m just a pilgrim who is starting the last part of his pilgrimage on this earth.”

Daniel Burke Hada Messia
Daniel Burke
Hada Messia

Joe Biden reacts to death of Pope Benedict XVI | CNN Politics

CNN —

President Joe Biden mourned the passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, saying in a statement Saturday that the late pontiff “will be remembered as a renowned theologian, with a lifetime of devotion to the Church, guided by his principles and faith.”

Benedict died Saturday at the age of 95 in a Vatican monastery, according to a statement from the Vatican. He was the first pope in almost 600 years to resign his position, rather than hold office for life, doing so in 2013.

Biden, the second Catholic to serve as president of the United States, reflected on his meeting with Benedict at the Vatican in 2011, recalling the late pontiff’s “generosity and welcome as well as our meaningful conversation.”

“As he remarked during his 2008 visit to the White House, ‘the need for global solidarity is as urgent as ever, if all people are to live in a way worthy of their dignity.’ May his focus on the ministry of charity continue to be an inspiration to us all,” Biden said Saturday.

Benedict’s funeral will be held on Thursday in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City at 9:30 a.m. local time, the Vatican statement said. The funeral will be led by Pope Francis.

Benedict was a polarizing figure, hailed by conservatives who admired his erudite writings and careful theology. But he faced criticism, particularly in the postmodern West, for his staunch insistence on fidelity to church doctrine and his willingness to silence dissent. He also came under fire for his handling of the sexual abuse crisis that engulfed the Catholic Church during his years as a senior cleric.

Benedict met with three sitting US presidents – in addition to future President Biden – during his time as leader of the Catholic Church.

“It was like going back to theology class,” Biden told America, a Jesuit publication, in 2015 of his meeting with Benedict. “And by the way, he wasn’t judgmental. He was open. I came away enlivened from the discussion.”

Pope Benedict XVI appears at the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica after he was elected to be the new pope on April 19, 2005. Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty Images Benedict was born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger in Marktl am Inn, Germany, in 1927. He's seen here on the left along with other members of his family in 1938: his brother, Georg; his mother, Maria; his sister, Maria; and his father, Joseph. German Catholic News Agency/Getty Images This photo of Benedict was taken in 1943, when he was drafted by the German army. He later deserted and was taken prisoner by the US Army. AFP/Getty Images Benedict, center, prays during an open-air Mass near Ruhpolding, Germany, in 1952. He was ordained as a priest in 1951. AFP/Getty Images Benedict poses for a photo in 1959, when he was a professor of dogmatic theology at the University of Freising in 1955. He taught at various colleges until 1969. AFP/Getty Images Benedict, left, was one of five new cardinals created by Pope Paul VI in June 1977. Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Benedict is greeted by people in Munich, Germany, in July 1977. He was the archbishop of Munich and Freising. dpa/picture alliance/Getty Images Benedict prays next to Mother Teresa in September 1978. AFP/Getty Images Pope John Paul II, a few days after becoming pope, greets Benedict at the Vatican in October 1978. AP Pope John Paul II signs the new Roman Catholic Code of Canon Law in 1983. Benedict, second from right, served as the Pope's chief theological adviser. Bettmann/Getty Images Benedict at Vatican City in March 1977. Gianni Giansanti/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images Benedict greets a mountain rifleman in Munich in 1997. Before that, he had celebrated the 20th anniversary of his episcopal consecration. Frank Mächler/picture alliance/Getty Images Benedict passes a cross to Pope John Paul II during a Passion of Christ celebration at the Vatican in the 2000s. Grzegorz Galazka/Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images Benedict, second from left, is among several cardinals greeting Pope John Paul II in 2003. Eric Vandeville/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images Benedict waves from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica after he was elected to be the new pope on April 19, 2005. Patrick Hertzog/AFP/Getty Images Benedict casts incense over the coffin of Pope John Paul II after his death. Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images Benedict looks at a child during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square in November 2005. Plinio Lepri/AP Benedict wears a fur-trimmed Santa-like hat as he waves to pilgrims in St. Peter's Square in December 2005 The red hat with white fur is known in Italian as the "camauro." It was popular among pontiffs in the 17th century. Alessandra Tarantino/AP People gather in front of the Roman Colosseum during Benedict's first Way of the Cross devotions in April 2006. Alessandra Benedetti/Corbis/Getty Images Pope Benedict greets young people in front of a huge Jesus Christ portrait in Krakow, Poland, in May 2006. Benedict paid an emotional visit to the birthplace of his predecessor and told Poles he was praying that their favorite son would move swiftly toward sainthood. Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters Benedict visits what used to be the Nazi Auschwitz death camp during his trip to Poland in May 2006. Diether Endlicher/AP The Pope waves to people from his "popemobile" as he arrives for a Mass in Regensburg, Germany, in September 2006. He was on a six-day visit to his native country. Jens Meyer/AP Benedict visits Istanbul's Sultan Ahmet Mosque, aka the Blue Mosque, in November 2006. Salih Zeki Fazlioglu/AP Benedict lies before the altar during a Good Friday ceremony at the Vatican in April 2007. Danilo Schiavella/AP A gust of wind blows the Pope's coat over his head while visiting Vienna, Austria, in September 2007. Robert Jaeger/AP Benedict waves as he is driven through the crowd in St. Peter's Square in September 2007. Pier Paolo Cito/AP Benedict is greeted by cardinals as he arrives to attend a concert at the Vatican in October 2007. Stefano Spaziani/dpa/picture alliance/AP Benedict arrives to celebrate Mass at New York's Yankee Stadium in April 2008. During his trip to the United States, he also visited the White House and spoke to the United Nations General Assembly. Julie Jacobson/AP Benedict visits Sydney in July 2008. Mark Baker/AP Arms stretch out to Benedict as he leaves Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral in September 2008. Philippe Wojazer/Reuters The Pope arrives to celebrate Mass in Yaounde, Cameroon, in March 2009. Andrew Medichini/AP Benedict places a note in the Western Wall while visiting Jerusalem's Old City in May 2009. David Silverman/Pool/Reuters The Pope leads a mass in Manger Square, next to the Church of the Nativity, as a Palestinian flag is waved the West Bank town of Bethlehem in May 2009. Tara Todras-Whitehill/AP Benedict prays in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher during his trip to Jerusalem's Old City in 2009. Yannis Behrakis/AP Benedict welcomes US President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama to the Vatican in July 2009. Haraz N. Ghanbari/AP The Pope waves to faithful from a window of his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, on the outskirts of Rome, during his weekly general audience in August 2009. His right arm was in a cast after he fell and broke his right wrist while vacationing a month earlier. Pier Paolo Cito/AP Benedict blesses pilgrims as he arrives in St. Peter's Square for a World Youth Day event in March 2010. Vincenzo Pinto/AFP/Getty Images Benedict prays inside St. Paul's Grotto in Rabat, Malta, in April 2010. L'Osservatore Romano/Reuters Benedict waves to the crowd gathered below St. Peter's Square during a weekly Angelus blessing in May 2010. L'Osservatore Romano/Reuters Benedict walks with Britain's Queen Elizabeth II while visiting the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen's official residence in Scotland, in September 2010. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Benedict travels by train to Assisi, Italy, in October 2011. L'Osservatore Romano/Getty Images Benedict prepares to kiss a baby as he arrives for a Mass in Cotonou, Benin, in November 2011. Finbarr O'Reilly/Reuters Benedict releases a dove from the window of his apartment in St. Peter's Square at the end of a Sunday Angelus prayer in January 2012. Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images Benedict meets with former Cuban President Fidel Castro during a visit to Cuba in March 2012. L'Osservatore Romano/Reuters Benedict walks at the end of a Holy Thursday Mass in April 2012. Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images Benedict, holding a candle, enters a hushed and darkened St. Peter's Basilica to begin the Vatican's Easter vigil service in April 2012. Pier Paolo Cito/AP Benedict delivers his blessing as he is driven through the crowd in St. Peter's Square in October 2012. Andrew Medichini/AP Pope Benedict clicks on a tablet to send his first Twitter message in December 2012. His account, which went live in seven languages, had thousands of followers within minutes. Vincenzo Pinto/AFP/Getty Images Benedict waves at the Vatican in December 2012. Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images Benedict rides the "popemobile" to St. Peter's Square in February 2013. Earlier that month, he announced that he would be retiring. The 85-year-old cited his "advanced age" as the reason. Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images People crowd the gallery on top of St. Peter's Basilica as a helicopter carries Benedict out of Vatican City in February 2013. He was heading to Castel Gandolfo, where he would stay until the next pope was chosen. Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images Benedict exchanges Christmas greetings with his successor, Pope Francis, at the Vatican in December 2013. Maurix/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images Benedict, seated second from left, has a glass of beer on his 90th birthday in 2017. L'Osservatore Romano/Pool/AP Benedict is pushed in a wheelchair in Regensburg, Germany, in 2020. He was in Germany visiting his sick brother. Daniel Karmann/dpa/AP Pope Francis visits with Benedict at the Vatican in August 2022. Vatican Media/Abaca Press/Sipa/AP Benedict receives the winners of the Ratzinger Prize in December 2022. The award is given to scholars that have stood out for their scientific research in the field of theology. Fondazione Ratzinger/via Reuters In pictures: The life of Pope Benedict XVI Prev Next

Benedict met with his first sitting president in 2007 when George W. Bush traveled to the Vatican. Benedict made his only papal visit to the United States the following year. Bush took the rare step of meeting the pope when his plane arrived at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, DC, and he later welcomed Benedict to the White House with an arrival ceremony on the South Lawn where thousands gathered and sang “Happy Birthday” to the pope, who turned 81 that day.

Later that year, Bush visited Benedict at the Vatican, where the two men strolled through the Vatican Gardens and met privately for roughly 30 minutes.

In 2009, President Barack Obama met with Benedict for 30 minutes at the Vatican. Officials at the time said their meeting included discussions on addressing poverty and the Middle East, as well as issues such as abortion and stem cell research.

Abortion also appeared to be a topic of discussion during Biden’s meeting with Benedict. In his 2015 interview with America, Biden said the two men spoke about Catholic doctrine and the then-vice president’s view that he should not impose his own beliefs on other people, including on issues such as abortion.

Benedict talked about Biden’s abortion stance after he became president in 2021.

“It’s true, he’s Catholic and observant. And personally, he is against abortion,” Benedict said in an interview with The Tablet, a Catholic publication. “But as president, he tends to present himself in continuity with the line of the Democratic Party … and on gender policy, we still don’t really understand what his position is.”

Biden also spoke of Benedict at a White House event this summer, calling him a “great theologian, a very conservative theologian.” The president shared that Benedict had asked him for advice when they met.

“‘Well, one piece of advice,’ I said, ‘I’d go easy on the nuns. They’re more popular than you are,’” Biden recounted to laughter.

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Opinion: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was more than 'God's ...

Editor’s Note: Jay Parini, a poet and novelist, teaches at Middlebury College. Among his recent books is “The Way of Jesus: Living a Spiritual and Ethical Life.” The views expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more opinion articles on CNN.

CNN —

The news that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has died will have shocked no one. He was, after all, 95, and had been in declining health for at least a decade: his fragility was, in 2013, cited as the ostensible reason for his resignation, which came as a shock at the time. It had been, after all, 600 years since a pontiff had done such a thing. His successor, Pope Francis, alerted the world to Benedict’s turn for the worse Wednesday, and a kind of death watch ensued.

Jay Parini

Some questions many may now be asking: Who was this former pontiff? How did his papacy affect the Christian – especially the Roman Catholic – world? What will be his legacy?

He was, to say the least, a man of deep learning and steadfast purpose. “Benedict XVI was a great pope,” Francis said in 2014. “Great for the power and penetration of his intellect, great for his considerable contribution to theology, great for his love for the Church and for human beings, great for his virtues and his religiosity,” he added.

Indeed, his intellect shines through in much of his writing, which includes “Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration,” a readable and engaging biography of the Christ. His deeply sympathetic study of Mary is full of worthy insights into the Marian tradition.

In all his writing, Benedict argued for keeping “feeling” and “reason” in balance. “For the Church,” he once said, “man is neither mere reason nor mere feeling, he is the unity of these two dimensions.”

This delicate balance preoccupied him in his larger theological project, which began in the mid-1960s with a meditation on the meaning of Vatican II (the effort to “update” the church for 20th century life) and continued until 2020, when he co-authored with his close friend Cardinal Robert Sarah “From the Depths of our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy, and the Crisis of the Catholic Church.”

“From the Depths of our Hearts” is a book that breaks no new ground but seeks to reaffirm – and vigorously defend – old verities in a time of obvious stress for the church, when survey after survey showed that Catholics were, in fact, losing faith in the authority of the church, often by the age of ten. “The priesthood is going through a dark time,” he said in this book. And he certainly nailed that one.

This “dark time” goes back many years and seemed to overwhelm him as pontiff, a role he occupied from 2005 until his resignation in 2013. As might be expected, the church struggled to come to terms with the meaning of this resignation. He was prompted, perhaps, by physical weakness. That made life difficult, as he was facing a host of problems that required more energy than he could muster. Then came a provocative investigation by the former Dominican friar Mark Dowd for the BBC in 2013, which probed the enormity and variety of the Vatican’s many problems. The revelation of deep Vatican secrets by Benedict’s once-faithful butler was one major source of agitation.

The mess was terrifying to behold. The horrific problem of child sexual abuse by clergy was at best a problem he dealt with awkwardly, never with any obvious sense of direction. There were rumors of gay cliques in the church, and widespread homosexuality in seminaries, all of which Benedict abhorred. And then there was the Vatican Bank, also rife with scandal.

Whether Pope Benedict had no idea what was happening, or no idea how to control what was happening, it’s clear he lacked the obvious political skills that were soon evident in his successor, Pope Francis. For his part, Pope Benedict made some feeble attempts to confront the multiple problems of the church. In 2010, he said that “the greatest persecution of the church does not come from the enemies outside, but is born from sin inside the church.” He pointed to “a profound need to relearn penance, to accept purification, to learn on the one hand forgiveness but also the necessity of justice.”

His life story was surely compelling. Born Joseph Ratzinger in 1927, in rural Germany, he was the youngest of three children. His father was a policeman, his mother a cook in various hotels. Young Ratzinger was apparently a shy and scholarly boy who found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. His father hated the Nazis, but neither father nor son could avoid history. He was drafted into the Hitler Youth program – this was compulsory, not a personal choice – and he served in the Nazi army when seminarians were pulled into the ranks in 1943. In the waning days of the war, Ratzinger became an army deserter, and he was for several harrowing months a prisoner of the Allied invasion.

After his ordination to the priesthood in 1951, he rose through the ranks, largely in the role of theologian, teaching at various universities. It must have come as a relief for him to return to the life of the mind!

His deeply orthodox views played well with his fellow priests, who admired his commitment to Catholic dogma, and he eventually became dean of the College of Cardinals in 2002. His views on almost every aspect of Christian doctrine found a precise formulation in his dozens of books, which addressed topics as diverse as birth control, homosexuality and the dialogue between faiths. What he most disliked was what he called the “dictatorship of relativism.” He argued for the cultivation of a ” friendship with Christ … that opens us up to all that is good and gives us a criterion by which to distinguish the true from the false, and deceit from truth.”

Yet his views, often marked by inflexibility, earned him the nickname “God’s Rottweiler,” and sometimes he outraged the wider public, as when in 2006 – his first year in the papacy – he attacked Islam, going after Muhammad in a way that created an uproar. “Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman,” he infamously said. The tenor of his remarks was so egregious that The New York Times, in an editorial, urged him to make amends: “He needs to offer a deep and persuasive apology, demonstrating that words can also heal.” Benedict responded by saying he “deeply regretted” that his words “sounded offensive to the sensibility of Muslim believers,” but the apology was hardly sufficient.

Benedict represented theological positions on a range of matters from contraception to homosexuality that went well beyond what most Catholics today find palatable. But his reactionary views live on, informing attitudes on the US Supreme Court, which boasts a surprising number of Catholics who eagerly embrace a view of the world influenced by Benedict’s vision.

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Yet Benedict will, I hope, be remembered as more than “God’s Rottweiler.” He was a man of honest intellect who, though rigid in so many ways, embraced the faith of his childhood with a singular passion and dug into the layers of theology with energy and persistence. He believed in what he considered the incontrovertible truth of the gospels, and his resolute stance had a noble aspect.

2022 In Review Fast Facts | CNN

CNN —

Here is a look back at the events of 2022.

Notable US Events

January 3 - The US Food and Drug Administration expands the emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine boosters to children ages 12 to 15. On January 5, the CDC updates its recommendations for the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine booster.

January 3 - Elizabeth Holmes, the former CEO and founder of failed blood testing startup Theranos, is found guilty on four charges of defrauding investors.

January 7 - A 57-year-old Maryland man receives a genetically modified pig heart in a first-of-its-kind transplant surgery.

January 13 - The Supreme Court blocks President Joe Biden’s vaccine and testing requirement aimed at large businesses, but allows a vaccine mandate for certain health care workers to go into effect nationwide.

January 24 - The James Webb Space Telescope, which launched on Christmas Day, reaches its destination, nearly a million miles away from Earth. On July 12 the first images are shared.

January 27 - Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer announces he plans to retire at the end of the court term. Biden commits to nominating the first Black female Supreme Court justice.

January 31 - Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine receives full approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for use in people ages 18 and older.

January 31 - NASA reveals it intends to keep operating the International Space Station until the end of 2030, after which the ISS will be crashed into a remote part of the Pacific Ocean known as Point Nemo.

February 2 - The Pentagon announces that Biden has formally approved the deployment of 3,000 troops to Poland, Germany and Romania. The deployments are a show of support to NATO allies feeling threatened by Russia’s military moves near Ukraine and the threat of an invasion.

February 2 - ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi is killed during a US counterterrorism mission in northwest Syria.

February 18 - Kim Potter, the former Minnesota police officer who fatally shot Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in April 2021, is sentenced to two years in prison.

February 21 - A social media platform backed by former President Donald Trump goes live. The service, a Twitter-like application known as Truth Social, is owned by Trump Media and Technology Group.

February 22 - US Soccer and the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) announce they have reached an agreement to end a dispute over equal pay.

February 25 - Biden selects Ketanji Brown Jackson as his nominee to the Supreme Court, setting in motion a historic confirmation process for the first Black woman to sit on the highest court in the nation. On April 7, the Senate votes 53-47 to confirm Jackson.

March 1 - Biden delivers his first State of the Union address.

March 8 - Biden announces his administration is banning Russian oil, natural gas and coal imports to the US in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

March 8 - Florida’s Senate passes a bill that would ban certain instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom. On March 28, Governor Ron DeSantis signs the bill, dubbed by opponents as the “Don’t Say Gay” law.

March 10 - After a nearly 100-day lockout, Major League Baseball and the players’ union reach a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement, ending the first league work stoppage since the players went on strike during the 1994 season.

March 21 - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announces he has determined that the military of Myanmar committed genocide and crimes against humanity against the country’s minority Rohingya population in 2016 and 2017.

March 29 - The FDA authorizes a second booster of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines for adults 50 and older. That same day, the CDC also endorses a second booster for the same age group.

March 30 - After a record-breaking 355 days spent in space, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei returns to earth, along with cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov.

April 5 - Biden nominates Adm. Linda Fagan to serve as the next commandant of the US Coast Guard. On May 11 the Senate votes to confirm Fagan, making her the first woman to lead a US armed service and the Coast Guard.

April 12 - The Bureau of Labor statistics shows the Consumer Price Index rose 8.5% for the year ended in March, hitting a high not seen since December 1981.

April 18 - A federal judge in Florida strikes down the Biden administration’s mask mandate for airplanes and other public transport methods.

April 25 - Twitter agrees to sell itself to Elon Musk in a deal valued at around $44 billion. Less than a month later, Musk announces via Twitter that the deal is temporarily on hold. On July 8, Musk moves to terminate the deal because he believes the company is “in material breach of multiple provisions” of the original agreement. On July 12, Twitter files a lawsuit against Musk in an effort to force him to follow through with the deal.

May 2 - Politico publishes a draft of a majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito that would strike down Roe v. Wade. The Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade on June 24, holding that there is no longer a federal constitutional right to an abortion.

May 12 - Biden marks the milestone of 1 million US coronavirus deaths.

May 14 - Ten people are killed and three are injured in a mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. The suspect, Payton S. Gendron, an 18-year-old White man – traveled hours to target the Tops Friendly Markets store in a predominantly Black neighborhood.

May 17 - The FDA grants emergency use authorization for a booster dose of Pfizer/BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, at least five months after completion of the primary vaccine series.

May 24 - Nineteen children and two teachers are killed when an 18-year-old opens fire in a classroom at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. This is the second-deadliest school shooting since 2012, when 26 children and adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

June 9 - The House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol holds its first prime-time hearing, presenting details of its findings and new footage of how the violence unfolded.

June 15 - The Federal Reserve raises interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point to tackle inflation that is plaguing the economy. This is the largest rate hike since 1994.

June 17 - The US FDA expands the emergency use authorizations for the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines to include children as young as 6 months. The CDC signs off on vaccinations for the same age group the following day.

June 25 - Biden signs into law the first major federal gun safety legislation passed in decades.

June 27 - The Supreme Court rules that a Washington state school district violated the First Amendment rights of a high school football coach when he lost his job after praying at the 50-yard line after games. The opinion was 6-3 along conservative-liberal ideological lines.

June 27 - Four people are dead and at least 50 injured after an Amtrak train derails in Missouri after colliding with a dump truck at a public crossing.

June 29 - Musician R. Kelly is sentenced to 30 years in prison following his conviction last year on federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges stemming from his efforts over years to use his fame to ensnare victims he sexually abused.

June 30 - Ketanji Brown Jackson is sworn in as an associate justice to the United States Supreme Court, becoming the first Black woman to take a seat on the high court.

July 1 - Two-time US Olympic basketball gold medalist Brittney Griner’s trial begins. She has been detained in Russia since her arrest on February 17 at a Moscow airport on drug smuggling charges. On July 7, Griner pleads guilty to drug charges. On August 4, Griner is found guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison. On December 8, President Biden announces that Griner has been released from Russian detention and is on her way home.

July 4 - A gunman kills seven people and injures dozens more at a July 4th parade in Highland Park, Illinois. The suspected shooter, identified as Robert E. Crimo III, is apprehended late in the day after a manhunt. On July 5, Crimo is charged with seven counts of first-degree murder.

July 22 - A federal jury finds former Trump adviser Steve Bannon guilty of contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the January 6 attack. He is sentenced to four months in prison on October 21.

July 28 - JetBlue Airways announces it will purchase Spirit Airlines, a combination that would create America’s fifth-largest airline. The announcement comes a day after Spirit pulled the plug on a deal to merge with Frontier.

July 28 - Widespread flooding following heavy rains leaves at least 43 dead in eastern Kentucky.

August 1 - Biden announces the United States killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a drone strike on July 31.

August 2 - The Senate votes to pass long-sought bipartisan legislation to expand health care benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits during their military service, sending the bill to Biden to sign into law. The final vote was 86-11. Biden signs the bill into law on August 10.

August 8 - The FBI executes a search warrant at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, as part of an investigation into the handling of presidential documents, including classified documents, that may have been brought there. On August 26, The Justice Department releases the redacted affidavit used to obtain the search warrant. The filing shows, among other things, that the documents that may have been illegally mishandled at Mar-a-Lago contained some of America’s most sensitive secrets.

August 12 - Author Salman Rushdie is attacked and stabbed multiple times on stage before a lecture he was scheduled to give at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York. The suspect, 24-year-old Hadi Matar, is arrested.

August 29 - Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announces the main water treatment facility in Jackson is beginning to fail, meaning it can’t produce enough water to fight fires, reliably flush toilets and meet other critical needs.

August 31 - The FDA authorizes updated Covid-19 vaccine booster shots from Moderna and Pfizer. This is the first time updated Covid-19 vaccines have received emergency use authorization in the US. Both are bivalent vaccines that combine the companies’ original vaccine with one that targets the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sublineages.

August 31 - Democrat Mary Peltola wins the special election to fill Alaska’s House seat for the remainder of 2022, halting former Gov. Sarah Palin’s bid at a political comeback. With her victory, the former state lawmaker flips the seat held for nearly half a century by the late GOP Rep. Don Young, and is set to become the first Alaska Native in Congress.

September 18 - Hurricane Fiona makes landfall on the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico with severe winds of up to 85 miles per hour, causing flooding and an island-wide power outage. At least three people are killed. Fiona makes landfall in the Dominican Republic the following day killing at least two people. Fiona morphs into a post-tropical cyclone and makes landfall in Canada’s Nova Scotia on September 24. At least one person dies.

September 28 - Hurricane Ian makes landfall along the southwestern coast of Florida near Cayo Costa as a powerful Category 4 storm. At least 126 people are killed in storm-related incidents in central Florida. On September 30, Hurricane Ian makes landfall near Georgetown, South Carolina, as a Category 1 storm, before being downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone. Five people are killed in storm-related incidents in North Carolina, officials say.

October 6 - Biden announces he is pardoning all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession.

October 12 - A Connecticut jury decides far-right talk show host Alex Jones should pay eight families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims and one first responder $965 million in compensatory damages, capping a wrenching weeks-long trial that put on display the serious harm inflicted by the conspiracy theorist’s lies.

October 13 - Nikolas Cruz avoids the death penalty after a jury recommends he be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the February 2018 massacre at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

October 13 - The House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack votes to subpoena Trump for documents and testimony during a high-profile public hearing.

October 24 - Ethan Crumbley, the teen accused of killing four students and wounding seven others at Oxford High School in Michigan in 2021, pleads guilty to all 24 charges against him.

October 28 - Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is hospitalized after he is attacked with a hammer by an intruder at the couple’s San Francisco home. The suspect, David DePape, faces multiple felony charges, including attempted homicide and assault with a deadly weapon.

November 12 - CNN projects Democrats will keep their narrow Senate majority for the next two years, after victories in close contests in Nevada and Arizona. On November 16, CNN projects Republicans will win control of the House.

November 15 - Former President Trump announces that he will seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.

November 16 - Artemis I takes flight after months of anticipation. Atop the rocket is the Orion spacecraft that will break away from the rocket after reaching space. After orbiting the moon, Orion will make its return trip, completing its journey in about 25 and a half days.

November 17 - Pelosi announces she will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership, but will continue to be a member of the House. She is the first and only woman to serve as speaker.

November 17 - The Biden administration determines that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman should be granted immunity in a case brought against him by the fiancée of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, whom the administration has said was murdered at the prince’s direction.

November 19 - A gunman opens fire inside an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, killing at least five people and injuring at least 25 others. Police identify the alleged gunman as 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich.

November 22 - A gunman shoots and kills six people and injures four others inside a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia. The gunman is identified as 31-year-old Andre Bing, a store manager, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

November 27 - The world’s largest active volcano, Mauna Loa, in Hawaii, erupts for the first time in nearly 40 years.

December 11 - The DOJ announces former Libyan intelligence officer and alleged Pan Am Flight 103 bomb maker, Abu Agela Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi, is in US custody.

December 19 - The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection votes during its final public meeting to refer Trump to the Department of Justice on at least four criminal charges. Four days later the panel releases its final report recommending Trump be barred from holding office again.

Notable International Events

January 5 - Dozens are killed and hundreds injured after protests erupt in Almaty, Kazakhstan, triggered by a fuel price increase. On January 7, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev orders security forces to “kill without warning” to crush the violent protests.

January 13 - Buckingham Palace announces that Prince Andrew is stripped of his military titles and charities, a day after a New York judge ruled a sexual abuse civil lawsuit against Queen Elizabeth II’s son could proceed.

January 15 - An underwater volcano in the South Pacific violently erupts, causing tsunamis to hit Hawaii, Japan, and Tonga’s largest island, Tongatapu – sending waves flooding into the capital.

January 20 - An inquest finds Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI knew about priests who abused children but failed to act when he was archbishop of Munich from 1977 to 1982, rejecting Benedict’s long-standing denials in a damning judgment.

January 20 - Zara Rutherford, 19, who has dual British-Belgian nationality, becomes the youngest woman to fly around the world solo.

February 5 - Queen Elizabeth II announces at her Platinum Jubilee that the Duchess of Cornwall will be known as Queen Camilla when Prince Charles becomes King.

February 7 - Canadian protesters against Covid-19 mandates impede access to the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Detroit and Windsor, Ontario – the busiest international crossing in North America. Ontario’s premier declares a state of emergency on February 11. On February 13, the bridge fully reopens.

February 15 - Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre reach an out-of-court settlement in her sexual abuse lawsuit against him.

February 24 - Russia launches an invasion of Ukraine, sending troops into the ex-Soviet nation from three fronts and firing missiles on several locations near the capital, Kyiv, in a broad attack that has drawn deep condemnation from world leaders.

March 16 - A 7.4-magnitude earthquake hits off the coast of Japan’s eastern Fukushima prefecture, killing at least four people and injuring over 100 others, and cutting power to millions of homes.

March 21 - A China Eastern Airlines jetliner carrying 132 people crashes in the mountains in southern China’s Guangxi region, according to China’s Civil Aviation Administration. The Boeing 737 was enroute from the southwestern city of Kunming to Guangzhou when it lost contact over the city of Wuzhou.

March 22 - Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny is sentenced to nine years in a maximum-security jail, according to Russian state-owned news agency Tass. Navalny is convicted on fraud charges by Moscow’s Lefortovo court over allegations that he stole from his Anti-Corruption Foundation.

March 24 - North Korea fires what is believed to be its first intercontinental ballistic missile in more than four years as Western leaders gather in Brussels for a security summit.

April 3 - CNN journalists in Ukraine see at least a dozen dead in body bags piled in a mass grave in the town of Bucha, northwest of the capital. Residents say around 150 people are buried there, while the mayor said in public remarks a day earlier there could be up to 300 victims buried there.

April 10 - Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan is ousted as the country’s leader following a vote of no confidence over allegations of economic mismanagement and mishandling of the country’s foreign policy. On April 11, Pakistan’s lawmakers vote in opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif as the country’s new prime minister.

May 6 - At least 35 people are dead and at least 89 are injured after an explosion at the Hotel Saratoga in Havana, the Cuban health ministry says.

May 15 - At a joint press conference, leaders of Finland and Sweden announce their countries’ intentions to join NATO. On May 18, Finland and Sweden both hand in their official letters of application to join NATO. On June 28, NATO formalizes its invitation to Finland and Sweden to join its alliance after Turkey drops its objections the day prior. NATO members sign the protocols of accession on July 5.

May 21 - Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese is elected prime minister of Australia, ending nine years of conservative rule.

June 27 - Russia defaults on its foreign debt for the first time since the Bolshevik revolution more than a century ago.

July 7 - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces that he is stepping down as prime minister after nearly 60 members of his government resign. Johnson says he will continue as caretaker leader while the Conservative Party launches the process of choosing a successor.

July 8 - Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dies after being shot during a campaign speech in Nara.

July 23 - The World Health Organization declares the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

July 26 - Russia announces it is planning to pull out of the International Space Station after 2024, ending its decades-long partnership with NASA at the orbiting outpost.

August 19 - Gunmen storm the Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia. At least 21 people are killed and more than 100 others are injured during the attack. The Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on its affiliated online sites, saying its fighters managed to take over the hotel after blasting their way into the building.

September 3 - Ten people are dead and 18 are injured at multiples scenes in an Indigenous community and the surrounding area in Saskatchewan following a mass stabbing. One of the suspects, Damien Sanderson, is found dead on September 5. His brother, Myles, is arrested on September 8 but dies after experiencing “medical distress.”

September 5 - Liz Truss is named the UK’s new prime minister — after winning the Conservative Party’s leadership contest with 57% of the votes, against opponent Rishi Sunak’s 43%.

September 8 - Buckingham Palace announces that Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch, has died at the age of 96. Her oldest son, Charles, becomes King Charles III.

September - Protests erupt across Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in a hospital three days after being apprehended in Tehran by the morality police for allegedly not abiding by the state’s hijab rules.

October 1 - At least 125 people are dead after violence erupts during an Indonesian league soccer match, according to Indonesia’s National Police Chief in what is one of the world’s deadliest stadium disasters of all time. Supporters of Arema FC and rival Persebaya Surabaya, two of Indonesia’s biggest soccer teams, clashed in the stands after home team Arema FC was defeated 3-2 at a match in the city of Malang in East Java, police said.

October 4 - North Korea fires a ballistic missile without warning over Japan for the first time in five years. The missile traveled over northern Japan early in the morning, and is believed to have landed in the Pacific Ocean.

October 20 - Truss announces her intention to resign just six weeks into her term after a growing number of her own Conservative Party’s lawmakers say they can no longer support her. She will remain prime minister until her successor is chosen.

October 25 - Rishi Sunak becomes the UK’s new prime minister, replacing Truss, the country’s shortest-serving leader of all-time. He is the third person to lead the country in seven weeks, and the fifth since 2016.

October 29 - At least 154 people are killed and over 100 more injured in a crowd surge at packed Halloween festivities in the South Korean capital of Seoul.

October 30 - Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is elected the next president of Brazil, defeating his rightwing rival, incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, by a razor-thin margin.

November 13 - Israeli President Isaac Herzog asks Benjamin Netanyahu to form a new government, allowing the former prime minister to secure the country’s top job for a record sixth time and extend his record as the nation’s longest-serving leader.

November 21 - A 5.6-magnitude earthquake hits the Cianjur region of Indonesia, killing at least 334 people and injuring more than 1,000.

November 30 - ISIS releases an audio message confirming the death of Abu al-Hasan al-Hashmi al-Qurayshi and announcing its new leader is Abu al-Husain al-Husaini al-Quraishi.

December 7 - Dina Boluarte becomes Peru’s first female president after a majority of 101 members in the 130-person legislative body vote to impeach former leader Pedro Castillo.

Awards and Winners

January 9 - The 79th Annual Golden Globes are announced in an untelevised presentation.

January 10 - The Georgia Bulldogs defeat the Alabama Crimson Tide 33-18 in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. This is Georgia’s first national title in football since the 1980 season.

January 17-30 - The 110th Australian Open takes place. Rafael Nadal defeates Daniil Medvedev in the men’s final, clinching a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title. Ashleigh Barty becomes the first home Australian Open champion since 1978 after beating Danielle Collins in the women’s final.

February 4-20 - The 2022 Winter Olympics take place in Beijing.

February 5 - The NHL All-Star Game takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The Metropolitan Division defeats the Central Division 5-3. Claude Giroux is named MVP.

February 6 - The 2022 Pro Bowl is played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The AFC defeats the NFC 41-35, in its fifth consecutive Pro Bowl win in the traditional AFC vs. NFC format.

February 13 - Super Bowl LVI takes place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Rams defeat the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20. It is just the second time in Super Bowl history a team played on its home field. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the first team to do so, last year at Raymond James Stadium.

February 20 - Austin Cindric wins the 64th Annual Daytona 500.

February 18-20 - The 71st NBA All-Star Game takes place at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. Team LeBron defeats Team Durant, 163-160.

February 26 - The 53rd NAACP Image Awards ceremony is held.

February 27 - The 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards are held.

March 4-13 - The 2022 Paralympics take place in Beijing.

March 15 - Brent Sass wins his first Iditarod.

March 27 - The 94th Annual Academy Awards ceremony takes place, with Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall as hosts. The Oscars have been hostless for the past three years.

April 3 - The 64th Annual Grammy Awards, postponed for the second year in a row due to a Covid-19 surge, takes place in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

April 3 - The South Carolina Gamecocks win their second NCAA Women’s Basketball championship in five years after defeating the Connecticut Huskies 64-49 at Target Center in Minneapolis.

April 4 - The Kansas Jayhawks complete the largest comeback in title game history to overtake the North Carolina Tar Heels 72-69 for the national championship at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. It is the program’s 4th NCAA Men’s Basketball title and first since 2008.

April 7-10 - The 86th Masters golf tournament takes place. Scottie Scheffler wins, claiming his first major title.

April 18 - The 126th Boston Marathon takes place. The winners are Evans Chebet of Kenya in the men’s division and Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya in the women’s division.

May 7 - Rich Strike wins the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby. The horse entered the race at 80-1 odds - the biggest long-shot in the 20-horse field.

May 9 - The Pulitzer Prizes are announced.

May 16-June 5 - The French Open takes place at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. Rafael Nadal defeats Casper Ruud 6-3 6-3 6-0 in the final, capturing his record-extending 14th title at the French Open.

May 17-28 - The 75th Cannes International Film Festival takes place.

May 21 - Early Voting, ridden by jockey José Ortiz, wins the 147th running of the Preakness Stakes.

May 22 - Justin Thomas wins the 104th PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This is the second major of his career.

May 29 - Marcus Ericsson wins the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500. It is his first win at the track.

June 11 - Mo Donegal, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., wins the 154th running of the Belmont Stakes.

June 12 - The 75th Annual Tony Awards take place.

June 16 - NBA Finals - The Golden State Warriors defeat the Boston Celtics, 103-90, in Game 6 to win the series 4-2.

June 18-22 - The 146th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show takes place at the Lyndhurst Estate in Tarrytown, New York. A bloodhound named Trumpet wins Best in Show.

June 19 - English golfer Matt Fitzpatrick wins the 122nd US Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. Fitzpatrick clinches his first career major by edging past world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris by a single shot.

June 24 - The 49th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony takes place.

June 26 - The Colorado Avalanche defeat the Tampa Bay lightning in Game 6 to win their first Stanley Cup since 2001.

June 27-July 10 - Wimbledon takes place in London. Novak Djokovic defeats Nick Kyrgios 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-6 (7-3) in the men’s final, to win his fourth straight Wimbledon singles title and his 21st Grand Slam title overall. Elena Rybakina defeats Ons Jabeur 3-6 6-2 6-2 in the women’s final, to win her first Wimbledon title.

July 1-24 - The 109th Tour de France takes place. Danish cyclist Jonas Vingegaard wins his first Tour de France title.

July 14-17 - Cameron Smith wins the 150th Open Championship on the Old Course at St Andrews, Scotland, for his first major golf title.

July 19 - The 92nd MLB All-Star Game takes place at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The American League defeats the National League 3-2. This is the American League’s ninth straight win.

August 29-September 11 - The US Open Tennis Tournament takes place. Iga Swiatek defeats Ons Jabeur and 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz defeats Casper Ruud, becoming the youngest world No. 1 in the history of the ATP rankings.

September 12 - The 74th annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony takes place with Kenan Thompson as host.

September 18 - WNBA Finals - The Las Vegas Aces capture their first title in franchise history, defeating the Connecticut Sun 78-71 in Game 4.

October 3-10 - The Nobel Prizes are announced. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to jailed Belarusian advocate Ales Bialiatski and human rights groups from Russia and Ukraine – Memorial and the Center for Civil Liberties.

November 5 - The Houston Astros win the World Series, defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 in Game 6.

November 6 - The New York Marathon takes place. Evans Chebet, the Kenyan winner of the Boston Marathon in April, wins the men’s division, and Sharon Lokedi of Kenya in the women’s division. Lokedi is the eighth athlete in history to win in New York on her marathon debut.

November 20-December 18 - The men’s World Cup takes place in Qatar. Argentina defeats France in a penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw to win its third World Cup.

December 10 - University of Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams is named the Heisman Trophy winner.