Pope Benedict has an ‘enormous and amazing legacy’: Raymond Arroyo
Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo mourns the passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and reflects on his legacy.
Raymond Arroyo, the only journalist to conduct a TV interview with Pope Benedict in English, set the record straight the regarding the Pope’s character, life, and legacy during an interview Saturday.
The Vatican announced early Saturday morning that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI passed away. He was 95 years old.
POPE EMERITUS BENEDICT XVI DEAD AT 95, VATICAN SAYS
"Some of the reportage I've been reading is frankly wrong about this man. They missed something about him. He was a humble, deeply believing man who believed that the person of Jesus Christ and the encounter with Christ was the answer to every human question and all the problems in the world," Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo said on "Fox & Friends Weekend," Saturday.
"And Benedict, because of his brilliance as a theologian, the last cardinal to attend, by the way, the Second Vatican Council, to be their presence in the room. He saw the world in a very particular frame."
Vatican City, VATICAN CITY STATE: Pope Benedict XVI wearing a red hat blesses the faithfull during his weekly audience in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, 06 Septembre 2006. Pope Benedict XVI will begin, 09 Septembre 2006, a five-day spiritual pilgrimage to the Bavaria region of Germany where the former Joseph Ratzinger grew up and studied. (VINCENZO PINTO/AFP via Getty Images)
Arroyo interviewed Pope Benedict XVI in 2003, making him the first and last journalist to conduct a TV interview in English with Pope Benedict XVI. He commented on the media's description of Benedict as "God's rottweiler" for his dedication to defending the Catholic Church, a value that has seemingly "lost" it's way.
"They called him 'God's Rottweiler' because Benedict was so firm on defending the church. But that's what a pope is supposed to do, guys. Their job, like Saint Peter, they're the successor of Peter, to defend and confirm their brothers in the faith. That's the job," Arroyo explained to the ‘Fox & Friends Weekend' co-hosts.
"And I think we've lost that along the way. The pope's job is not to be a nice guy or to kiss babies. It is to defend the teaching of Jesus Christ and the gospel. And Benedict did that."
Benedict is most immediately remembered outside the Catholic Church for his surprise resignation — the first papal abdication since 1415 — and subsequent life as the world’s first "pope emeritus" in centuries.
Arroyo argues that one of the key reasons for Benedict's premature departure was his concern for his health, and the immense pressure he faced from the Catholic Church community.
POPE EMERITUS BENEDICT IS 'VERY SICK,' POPE FRANCIS REVEALS
"He was a hypochondriac. Every time his throat got a little raw, he said, Oh, I'm dying. It is cancer. You know, he would. He would. He was very tender about his health. And I think that's part of the reason that he resigned the first pope in 600 years to resign," he continued.
"I also believe from sources, he was under an enormous amount of pressure. Some of the people he was relying on at the time were telling him the church was in far worse straits than it was, and that he was too old to continue in the role. They had other designs for the church. Pope Benedict, I'm sad that he wasn't a bit stronger and sturdier. We needed him. We needed his voice, his clarity, particularly now. And that, I hope, is his legacy."
FILE PHOTO: Pope Francis greets Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI during a mass to create 20 new cardinals during a ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican Feb. 14, 2015. (REUTERS/Tony Gentile/File Photo)
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Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's body will be held in St. Peter's Basilica for public viewing and prayer leading up to funeral service Thursday, January 5th.
Fox News' Timothy H.J. Nerozzi and Elizabeth Pritchet contributed to this report
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