Pope Benedict XVI’s tenure was marked by significant challenges, most notably the widespread crisis involving the sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests and the subsequent accusations of a cover-up by church officials.

Upon assuming the papacy in 2005, Benedict XVI inherited a church grappling wiht intense scrutiny over its handling of sex abuse allegations. The crisis was already in full public view, and he was deeply familiar with the issues.In 2001, Pope John Paul II granted the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) the authority to centralize all investigations into abuse claims. This decision removed the power from local dioceses, which had often failed to take action against অভিযুক্ত priests.As head of the CDF at the time, Cardinal Ratzinger played a key role in establishing new protocols for reporting and punishing clergy accused of sexual abuse.

During his papacy, Benedict XVI consistently condemned the Church’s history regarding child sex abuse, offering apologies to victims and removing hundreds of guilty priests from their positions. However, many felt his actions were insufficient, partly because he did not make the Vatican‘s investigations into abuse accusations public. This lack of transparency allowed dioceses to conceal these accusations from parishioners and law enforcement.

“In the Church’s entire history, no one knew more but did less to protect kids than Benedict,” the Survivors Network of Those abused by Priests (SNAP) said in a statement in 2013, in response to the pope emeritus’s public claim that he did not engage in a ‘cover-up’ of clerical abuse. “As head of CDF, thousands of cases of predator priests crossed his desk. Did he choose to warn families or call police about even one of those perilous clerics? No. That, by definition, is a cover up.”

Benedict’s time as pope was also troubled by rumors of corruption and secret factions within the Holy See, which culminated in the “Vatileaks” scandal in 2012.

Resignation and Later Life

“After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.”

On Feb. 10, 2013, Benedict XVI made the surprising declaration that he would be resigning from the papacy. “After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry,” he stated.

His decision to step down was later depicted in the 2019 film The Two Popes, with Anthony Hopkins receiving an oscar nomination for his portrayal of Benedict.

After his resignation, Benedict XVI largely remained out of the public eye. He reportedly preferred to be addressed as “Father Benedict” rather than by his formal title. Though, he did attend significant theological events, such as the Canonization Mass of Pope John XIII and Pope John Paul II on April 27, 2014.

On Sept. 4, 2020, at the age of 93 years, four months, and 19 days, Benedict became the longest-living pope in history.