- Title: Faithful express wide-range of views on the papacy of former Pope Benedict
- Date: 1st January 2023
- Summary: ROME, ITALY (JANUARY 1, 2023) (REUTERS) VIEW OF ST. PETER'S SQUARE CHRISTMAS TREE WITH STATUES OF ST. PETER'S BASILICA IN THE BACKGROUND CHRISTMAS TREE AND OBELISK IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER VATICAN SPOKESMAN, FATHER FEDERICO LOMBARDI, SAYING: "Pope Benedict was before all a man of faith, personal faith very profound and solid and with a charisma, a gift to present the Christian faith today in the context of the today's culture, scientific culture, humanistic culture, juridical culture with many questions but with the conviction that the faith can help the reason, the human reason, to find better the way for mankind in the world of today. A sense of service that comes from the synthesis of faith and reason." (SOUNDBITE) (English) GERMAN CITIZEN, SARAH SCHAPERS, SAYING: "I mean obviously the death is quite tragic, he was quite an important figure and he was German and I am German so there is quite a thing there but I think he was quite conservative because as a young person I found him really conservative. He was still kind of have a lot to say and I think obviously his death is tragic but he lived a long life and I think now it's good that we have one pope and that's kind of more focused on one pope again and not just kind of two." (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ROME RESIDENT, DARIO MONNA, SAYING: "He (former Pope Benedict) was very good in terms of religion but there were some things...I prefer this one (Pope Francis) for his contact with the people. That's all." (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ROME RESIDENT, MARIA IAMELE, SAYING: "Benedict after his predecessor was a slightly harder pope to understand but we loved him anyway." (SOUNDBITE) (Italian)ROME RESIDENT, FABIO LUPICA PICCITTO, SAYING: "My memories of this German pope were that he seemed a bit, shall we say, not tough but... we Romans were used to Pope John Paul II who was a bit warmer. The Romans were a bit cold towards Ratzinger because of this but not because of anything else." POLICE CAR IN FRONT OF ST. PETER'S SQUARE POLICEMEN COLUMNS IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE CROSS ON TOP OF ST. PETER'S BASILICA
- Embargoed: 15th January 2023 13:09
- Keywords: Father Federico Lombardi Italy Rome St. Peter's Square Vatican City former Pope Benedict
- Location: ROME, ITALY
- City: ROME, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Europe,Religion/Belief,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001981001012023RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Christian faithful were divided on Sunday (January 1) on the papacy of former Pope Benedict a day after he died at the Vatican at the age of 95.
While tributes to the former pope continued to be made by world leaders, and conservative members of the faithful, others were critical of his pontificate.
The body of Benedict XVI will lie in state in St. Peter's Basilica on Monday (January 2) and remain there for three days before his funeral, which is set for Jan. 5.
(Production: Jaime Lopez Lopez, Gabriele Pileri, Fabiano Franchitti)Â - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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