Joseph Ratzinger was the first German pope when he took office in 2005, for over 480 years. Almost eight years later, in 2013, Pope Benedict XVI. voluntarily – as the first pope in more than 700 years. He has now passed away at the age of 95 and the world mourns his loss.
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz shared a statement on Twitter: “As a ‘German’
Andriy Melnyk, the former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, posted a photo on Twitter and wrote: “Benedict XVI, one of the best popes of all time. R.I.P.”
Christian Lindner, the German Federal Minister of Finance wrote: “The first German pope in 482 years has died. Benedict XVI was a historical figure and a not undisputed intellectual. But today we commemorate him as a person. CL”
Markus Söder, Bavarian Prime Minister, posted a picture of the deceased on Twitter and wrote: “We mourn our Bavarian Pope. The death of
Alexander Van der Bellen, Federal President of the Republic of Austria, tweeted: “I was deeply touched to learn of the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. He had a special connection with Austria. On behalf of the Republic and personally, I would like to express my heartfelt sympathy today. Through his neutral and discreet mediation in numerous crisis situations, Benedict XVI has had a lasting influence on the foreign policy of the Holy See. And in particular, he has always emphasized the importance of dialogue between religions and cultures.”
Peter Tschentscher, Mayor of Hamburg, writes: “Pope Benedict XVI dedicated his life to faith
Cerstin Gammelin, spokeswoman for Federal President Frank Walter Steinmeier, published a picture:
