Pope Benedict's successor Pope Francis has made it clear that if he thought that he was incapable of fulfilling the duties associated with his office, he might resign. The fact that this is now a live issue and will continue to be with popes for the foreseeable future "is an extraordinary thing whose significance is difficult to overstate," says John Defterios. I think what he did was reopen a number of debates that John Paul II had seemed to suggest were settled", adds defterios.
As the world ushered in a new year on the 31st of December 2022, it also said goodbye to possibly its most well-known religious leader, Pope Benedict XVI. As a cardinal, Joseph Ratzinger’s uncompromising conservative views earned him the nickname "God's Rottweiler". As Pope, his work was often perceived as a continuation of the conservative agenda of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. On this episode of The Sunday Debate we’re discussing the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI, asking whether his most radical act was retiring in 2013, and how his influence was received by the world's 1.3 billion Catholics. To discuss these issues, our host Philippa Thomas is joined by Massimo Faggioli, Professor of Theology at Villanova University Pennsylvania, and Mathew Walther, writer and editor of Catholic literary journal, The Lamp.
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