EWTN Norway

A year and a half after the passing of Pope Benedict XVI, theologians have convened in the Bavarian town of Altötting to reflect on his lasting impact. Altötting, home to Germany’s most significant Marian shrine, is also near Joseph Ratzinger’s birthplace, making it a poignant location for this gathering.

Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, expressed his deep admiration and personal sense of loss, stating, “I miss him very much because he was a very, very kind person. He was a person with a very deep faith and he was a very intelligent theologian. And these three characteristics in one person is characteristic for Pope Benedict.”

Despite spending his final years in seclusion as Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI’s influence and memory continue to resonate. In Altötting, Rudolf Gehrig reports on the discussions and reflections taking place among the theologians gathered to honor his legacy.