Washington D.C., Dec 31, 2022 / 14:25 pm
President Joe Biden paid tribute to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who died on Saturday, calling him “a renowned theologian” and “an inspiration to us all.”
“Jill and I join Catholics around the world, and so many others, in mourning the passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI,” Biden said following the Vatican’s announcement that the pope emeritus had died at the age of 95.
Biden is the second Catholic president in U.S. history.
“I had the privilege of spending time with Pope Benedict at the Vatican in 2011 and will always remember his generosity and welcome as well as our meaningful conversation,” the president said Dec. 31.