Rutte and Dutch Bishops respond to death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who died on Saturday, was an "important spiritual and intellectual leader" for Catholics, according to Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The German Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, as he was known by his real name, turned 95.

"With the passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the Roman Catholic Church and all Catholics worldwide lose an important spiritual and intellectual leader. We remember him with respect," the Prime Minister tweeted.

According to Minister and CDA chairman Wopke Hoekstra (Foreign Affairs), Benedict XVI was committed to promoting peace and strengthening understanding between people of different races, nations and religious backgrounds.

The Dutch bishops are asking to pray for the peace of mind of dead Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. The call was made by Bishop Hans van den Hende of the Diocese of Rotterdam, chairman of the Dutch Bishops' Conference.

According to Van den Hende, love for the Pope Emeritus was the common thread in the social teaching of the Catholic Church. In 2009, he also wrote an encyclical about it titled Caritas in Veritate (Love in Truth). "For Benedict, faith found its completion in the love of Christ. For him, faith and love belonged together. We can transmit this love from our encounter with Christ," Bishop Van den Hende said.

In response to the death of the former head of the Catholic Church, Cardinal Wim Eijk said that “Benedict XIV was a true man of God and a pope after Jesus' heart. He was extremely lovable and undeservedly misunderstood by many.” Eijk met Pope Benedict personally and quite frequently when Joseph Ratzinger himself was still a cardinal and prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Nevertheless, the years in which Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI led the Roman Catholic Church have been overshadowed by scandals over the sexual abuse of minors by clergy. Before he was elected pope in April 2005, numerous scandals had already emerged in the United States, followed by other countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands and his native country Germany.

He was accused of not doing enough about the abuse, even though he spoke to victims in the United States, among other countries, and condemned the abuse on several occasions. Furthermore, Benedict XVI also allegedly covered up clerical misconduct as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (1981-2005) and before that as archbishop of Munich.