Czech PM and Prague Archbishop pay respects to former Pope Benedict XVI

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala has paid his condolences to former Pope Benedict XVI on Twitter, calling him one of the leading intellectual personalities of our time. He said he had great respect for the former pope and his theological and philosophical works and was grateful to have had the opportunity to meet him in person. He added that his greatness was also shown by his decision to step down from the Holy See in 2013.

The Archbishop of Prague Jan Graubner has also sent his condolences, saying that the former pope faithfully served the Catholic Church throughout his long life and that he made a fundamental contribution to deepening, systematizing and defining its doctrine. He also highlighted Pope Benedict's visit to the Czech Republic in 2009, which he described as a great encouragement for Czech Catholics, and said he fondly remembered his last meeting with the former pope in November 2019 in Rome. According to Graubner, Pope Benedict still vividly remembered his time in Czechia during that meeting and was also interested in current events.

Pope Benedict passed away in the Vatican on Saturday, December 31 at 09:34 CEST, at the age of 95.