Pope Benedict XVI Quotes
We cannot but recognize that, in practical terms, defending human life has become more difficult today, because a mentality has been created that progressively devalues human life and entrusts it to the judgement of individuals. A consequence deriving therefrom is lessened respect for the human person, a value that lies at the foundation of any form of civil coexistence, over and above the faith a person may profess.
Benedict XVI. "Address of His Holiness Benedict XVI to Participants in the General Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life." Vatican.va, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 13 Feb. 2010.
Executed by the English for his part in the Easter Uprising. The Empress of Austria had just been assassinated by Luigi Luccheni in the streets of Geneva, Switzerland.
Pope Benedict XVI is a retired prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2005 until his resignation in 2013. Benedict's election as pope occurred in the 2005 papal conclave that followed the death of Pope John Paul II. Benedict chose to be known by the title "pope emeritus" upon his resignation.