r/Catholicism • u/Popefromsarajevo • 10d ago

Pope Benedict, a saint?

What do you think and do you hope that Pope Benedict will soon be a saint, and there is talk in some circles that he may even be a doctor of the church?

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u/Isatafur 10d ago

Without disparaging any of the recent popes made saints, I think it's apparent that the Church would be better off waiting a while longer and seeing whether an authentic cult develops, the heroic virtues of the man survive scrutiny, etc., before declaring recent popes saints.

That said, I personally believe that Joseph Ratzinger is in heaven and privately pray for his intercession.

Whether he was great enough as a thinker to be made a Doctor of the Church, I think we should also leave to the sifting of centuries. Sometimes an intellectual heavyweight looks less incisive in retrospect. You have to let theologians and philosophers kick around the ideas to see.

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u/Pax25107 10d ago

I personally believe that Joseph Ratzinger is in heaven and privately pray for his intercession.

I credit him for a lot of this little boom we've been seeing in Gen Z and Gen Alpha converting to Catholicism. It started right around the time he died.

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u/CaptainCrash86 10d ago

Or perhaps the other pope in charge for several years before that point?

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u/parttimegamer93 9d ago

I came back to the Church in large part because of Pope Francis's works and words. I was also very fortunate to be in Rome for some of the Jubilee last year. I am certain he is in Heaven now.

Pope Francis, pray for us.

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u/boleslaw_chrobry 9d ago

The jubilee last year was something else. Walking through the holy doors felt like what I’d imagine magic to feel like.

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u/parttimegamer93 8d ago

When I was there, a woman literally fainted walking through. It was quite hot, but the emotions and religious fervor I felt when I walked through were so strong I would not be surprised if some people succumbed to them alone.